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NARRATIVE 



CAMPAIGN IN 1781 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Sir henry CLINTON, K. B. 



NtOBLIVISCARIS. 




PHILADELPHIA: 
JOHN CAMPBELL, 

MDCCCLXV. 



No. 






Edition of 250 Copies, 

Of which 75 copies are in quarto, and 25 copies 
in foHo. 



PRINTED BY H&nAV B. ASHMEAD, 

No. I loz Sansom Street. 



/ '.--iM^^' 



NARRATIVE 

O F •0^: 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 

SIR HENRY CLINTON, K. B. 

RELATIVE TO HIS 

CONDUCT 

DURIN G 

PART OF HIS COMMAND OF THE KING'S TROOPS 

IN 

NORTH AMERICA; 

Particularly to that which refpedls the unfortunate Iffue of 
the Campaign in 178 1. 

WITH AN 

APPENDIX, 

CONTAINING 

Copies and Extracts of those Parts of his Correfpondence 

WITH 

• LORD GEORGE GERMAIN, 
EARL CORNWALLIS, 
REAR ADMIRAL G R A V E S, &c. 

Which are referred to therein. 



LONDON: 

Printed for J. Debrett (fucceifor to Mr. Almon) oppofite 

Burlington-houfe, Piccadilly, 1783. 



-'§•».' 



ERRATA. 

Page. Line. 

In the note, 8, - 3, 1781, vice 1782. 
13, - 12, either^ vice each. 
24, - 19, probably before be^ at the begin- 
ning of the line. 
46, - 16, their., vice thus. 
52, - 20, bfc. after accompUjhed. 



Jf-. 



k 



w. 



NARRATIVE 



O F 



LIEUTENANT GENERAL 



Sir henry CLINTON, &c. 



T3EING confcious, that during my com- 
mand in North America, my whole 
conduct was actuated by the moft ardent 
zeal for the King's fervice, and the interefls 
of the public, I was exceedingly mortified, 
when I returned to England, after a fervice 
of feven years in that country, to find that 
erroneous opinions had gone forth refpe6ting 
it; and that many perfons had, in confe- 
quence, admitted impreffions to my preju- 
A duce. 



( 2 ) 

duce. Anxious, therefore, to explain what 
had been mifinterpreted or mifreprefented, 
(as indeed might well be expected, from the 
publication of Lord C.'s letter of the 20th of 
October, without being accompanied by my 
anfwer to it) I had propofed taking an op- 
portunity, in the Houfe of Commons, of 
faying a few words on fuch parts of my 
conduct as feemed not to be fufficiently un- 
derftood : and I flatter myfelf I fhould have 
been able to make it appear, that I adted 
up to the utmoft of my powers, from the 
beginning to the end of my command; and 
that none of the misfortunes of the very 
unfortunate campaign of 1781 can, with 
the fmalleft degree of juftice, be imputed to 
me. 

But I arrived here fo late in the feflion, 
that I was advifed to defer it; and it was 
judged that the gracious reception I had jufl: 
met with from my Sovereign rendered an 
immediate explanation unnecelTary. I was 

not. 



( 3 ) 
not, however, apprifed to what degree the 
public prejudice had been excited againft 
me eh'e, I fhould probably have been in- 
duced to have taken an earlier opportunity 
of offering to Parliament what I have to fay 
on the fubjed:. But the late change in pub- 
lic affairs, furnifhing fo much more impor- 
tant matter for their deliberation, deprived 
me of the opportunity I thought I fhould 
have had: and, as by the prefent recefs it 
is probable that I may not be able to exe- 
cute my intentions before a late period, when 
perhaps peculiar circumftances might force 
me through delicacy to decline it, I beg 
leave to lay before the public the following 
plain Narrative, which will, I trufl, remove 
prejudice and error. 

I have much to regret that, when this 
bufinefs was difcuffed in the Houfe of Lords 
laft fefHon of Parliament, the whole of my 
correfpondence, with the late American 
Minifter, Lieutenant General Earl Corn- 

wallis 



^^n 



( 4 ) 
wallis, and the Admirals commanding on 
the Weft-India and American stations, was 
not produced, or at leaft fuch parts thereof 
as, being necelTary to explain my condud:, 
might have appeared confiftently with ftate 
policy. Becaufe the letters which compofe 
that correfpondence, being written to the 
moment as events happened, are certainly 
the mofl faithful records of my actions and 
intentions; and are confequently the clear- 
eft, faireft, and moft unexceptionable tefti- 
monies I can adduce in their fupport. I 
hope, therefore, I fhall ftand exculpated 
from the neceflity of the cafe, for any im- 
propriety there may be in my annexing to 
this letter fuch of them as I may judge 
moft requifite for that purpofe. Three of 
them indeed will, I prefume, be found very 
material, (Appendix No. IX.) as they con- 
tain my anfwers and obfervations upon Lord 
Cornwallis's letters of the 20th of Odiober 
and 2d of December on the fubjed: of 

the 



( J ) 

the unfortunate concluiion of the laft cam- 
paign in the Chefapeak; — which latter I am 
forry to obferve, were given to the pubUc, 
while mine in anfwer were withheld from 
it; — I hope without defign. 

Although I never dared promife myfelf 
that any exertions of mine, with my very 
reduced force (nearly one-third lefs than 
that of my predecefTor) could bring the war 
to a happy concluiion; yet I confefs that 
the campaign of 1781 terminated very dif- 
ferently from what I once flattered my- 
felf it would; as may appear, by the fub- 
joined extracts of letters, written in the be- 
ginning of that year, * and which were 

tranf- 

* "I am moft exceedingly concerned, my Lord, at 
the very unfortunate affair of the 17th of January, (Cow- 
per's.) I confefs I dread the confequences. But my 
hope is, as it ever will be, in your Lordfhip's abilities 
and exertions. I have much to lament, that Brigadier- 
general Arnold's proje6led move in favour of your 

Lordfhip's 



( 6 ) 
tranfmitted to the Minifter. I was led, 
however, into thefe hopes, more by the 
apparent diftrelTes of the enemy than any 
material fuccelTes we had met with. 

The plan I had formed for the campaign 
of 1 78 1, (upon the exped:ation of a rein- 
forcement 

Lordfhip's operations will have been ftopt by the appear- 
ance of the French fhips. Difcontent runs high in 
Connecticut. In fliort, my Lord, there feems little 
wanting to give a mortal ftab to rebellion, but a proper 
reinforcement and a permanent fuperiority at fea for the 
next campaign; without which any enterprize depending 
on water movements muft certainly run great rifk. Until 
Colonel Bruce arrives, I am uncertain what reinforce- 
ments are intended for this army. The Minifter has 
however aflured me, that every poflible exertion will be 
made." — Letter from Sir Henry Clinton to Lord Corn- 
wallis, March 5, 1781. 

"I cannot fufficiently exprefs my extreme joy at read- 
ing Wafhington's letter. It is fuch a defcription of 
diftrefs, as may ferve to convince, that with a tolerable 
reinforcement from Europe, to enable your Excellency 
to determine on an ofFenfive campaign, the year 178 1 

may 



( 7 ) 
forcement from Europe — from the Weft- 
Indies — and from the Southward (after ope- 
ration fliould ceafe in that quarter) — added 
to what I might be able to fpare at the time 
from the fmall force under my immediate 
command at New- York) was calculated to 
make a fair and folid effort in favour of our 
friends — in a diflridl where I had fome rea- 
fon to believe they were numerous and 
hearty ; and where I judged it might be made 
with little danger, even from a temporary 
naval fuperiority of the enemy. This plan 
had been fuggefted to the Minifter in the 
year 1780, and more particularly ex- 
plained to him in 1781; notwithftanding 
which a preference was given to another, 
(Appendix, No. I.) which feemed to be 

forced 

may probably prove the glorious period to your command 
in America, by putting an end to the rebellion." — Letter 
from Major-general Phillips to Sir H. Clinton, Portf- 
mouth, Virginia, April 16, 1781. 



( 8 ) 
forced (Appendix, No. II.) upon me by- 
Lord Cornwallis's quitting the Carolinas, 
where I had left him in the command, and 
marching into Virginia; a meafure, I muft 
fay, determined upon without my approba- 
tion, and very contrary to my wiflies and 
intentions. The Minifter directed me to 
fupport Lord CornwalUs and foHd operation 
in Virginia ; the danger of which, without a 
covering fleet, I had conftantly reprefented 
to him. He repeatedly and poiitively pro- 
mifed me a covering fleet;* and when the 

Admiral 

* Extrafts from Lord George Germain's letters to Sir 
Henry Clinton: 

April 4, 1782. "The latenefs of the feafon will, I 
imagine, prevent Monf. De Graffe's undertaking any 
thing againft the King's pofleflions in the Weft Indies. 
But it is probable, as foon as he has thrown fupplies into 
the feveral iflands, he will proceed to North America, 
and join the French forces at Rhode Ifland, and endea- 
vour to revive the expiring caufe of rebellion. But as 

Sir 



( 9 ) 
Admiral arrived with the naval reinforce- 
ment from the Weft-Indies,, he was clearly 

of 

Sir George Rodney's force is little inferior to his, and he 
will be watchful of his motions, I am not apprehenfive he 
will give him time to do you any material injury before he 
comes to your fuccour." 

May 2, 1 78 1. "And as Sir George Rodney will 
bring you three more regiments from the Leeward Iflands 
before the hurricane months, the augmentation of your 
force muft, I fhould think, be equal to the utmoft of your 
wifhes." 

July 7, 1 78 1. "The arrival of the reinforcement 
will, I hope, enable you to proceed immediately in the 
execution of your purpofe, without waiting for the 
three regiments from the Weft Indies ; for I do not 
expe6t they will join you before the feafon for offenfive 
operations there is over; when, I have reafon to believe, 
the French fleet will pufh for North America, and Sir 
George Rodney will certainly follow them, to prevent 
them from giving you any interruption in your operations." 

July 14, 1 78 1. "The purpofe of the enemy was 
long known here, and Sir George Rodney has been ap- 
prifed of it, and will certainly not lofe fight of Monf. 

De 



( 'o ) 
of opinion himfelf, and of courfe convinced 
me, that he had brought that covering fleet. 
(Appendix, No. III.) Therefore, as Admi- 
ral Graves's fquadron was acknowledged to 
be fuperior to that under Monfieur de Barras, 

I could 

De Grafle. The very proper ftep you took of tranfmit- 
ting him copies of the letters you had intercepted, muft 
confirm him in the refolution he had taken in confequence 
of the former intelligence. But as in a matter of fo great 
moment, no precaution fliould be omitted, or poflible con- 
tingency unguarded againft, extracts of the intercepted 
letters will be fent to him from hence, and precife inftruc- 
tions given to him to proceed dire6lly to North America, 
whenever Monf. De Grafle quits the Leeward Iflands." 

July 24, 1 78 1. "And I trufl:, that as Sir George 
Rodney knows De Grafl'e's defl:ination, and the French 
acknowledge his {hips fail better than their's, that he will 
get before him, and be in readinefs to receive him when 
he comes upon the coaft:," 

September 25, 1781. "I truft, before the end of 
Auguft, Sir Samuel Hood will have been with you, and 
t hat after his jun£tion with Admiral Graves our fuperiority 
at fea will be preferved." 



( I- ) 

I could not but luppofe that the arrival of 
Admiral Digby (hourly expedied) would 
give us a moft decifive naval fuperiority. — 
And here, perhaps, it may not be improper 
to remark, that though the Minifter dired:s 
me, by his letters of the 2d of May, and 6th 
of June, to adopt folid operation in Virginia, 
he fignifies to me his Majefty's approbation 
of my own plan, in a fubfequent letter of 
the 14th of July, telling me at the fame 
time, that "he has not the leaft doubt Lord 
" Cornwallis will have fully feen the rea- 
"fonablenefs of it, and has executed it with 
"his wonted ardor, intrepidity, and fuc- 
"cefs." 

Under thefe circumftances, and with thefe 
all'urances, I never could have the moft distant 
idea that Mr. Wafliington had the leaft hopes 
of a fuperior French fleet in the Chefapeak ; 
and I confequently never could fuppofe that 
he would venture to go there. But if he 
ftiould, I was fatisfied from the reafons already 

ftated 



( 12 ) 
ftated, that I fliould be able to meet him 
there with every advantage on my fide, by 
having the command of the waters of that 
bay — without which he could not polTibly 
feed his army. This opinion has been alfo 
fince confirmed by a letter from him to 
Count De GralTe, dated 26th of September 
1 78 1, (No. IV. Appendix) wherein he tells 
him, if he quits the Chefapeak, the enemy 
will certainly get polTeffion of it, and he mufl 
difband his army. 

Had my correfpondence been produced, 
it would have appeared from it, and the 
returns accompanying it, that inftead of 
feventeen, twenty, nay twenty-four thouf- 
and men, which it has been reported I had 
at New York (after the very ample rein- 
forcements as the Minifter acknowledges 
(No. V. Appendix) which I had fent to the 
fouthward) I had not 12,000 effectives, and 
of thefe not above 9,300 fit for duty, re- 
gulars and provincials. But had I had 

twice 



( -3 ) 
twice that number, I do not know that, 
after leaving fufficient garrifons in the 
iilands and pofts depending (which it is ad- 
mitted by all would take 6000) I could, as 
has been inlinuated, have prevented the 
junction between Monf. Rochambeau and 
General Wafhington, which was made in the 
highlands, at leaft 50 miles from me; or that 
I could have made any direct move againft 
their army when joined (confifting then of 
at least 11,000 men, exclufive of militia, 
alTembled on each iide the Hudfon) with 
any profped: of folid advantage from it. Or 
if I had as many reafons to believe that 
Mr. Wafliington would move his army into 
Virginia without a covering French fleet, 
as I had to think he would not; I could 
not have prevented his paffing the Hudfon 
under cover of his forts at Verplanks and 
Stoney Points. Nor (fuppoling I had boats 
properly manned) would it have been ad- 
vifeable to have landed at Elizabeth town, 

in 



( H ) 
in the face of works which he might ealily 
have occupied (as they were only feven 
miles from his camp at Chatham) without 
fubjediing my army to be beat, en detail. 
Nor could I, when informed of his march 
towards the Delaware, have palled an army 
in time to have made any impreffion upon 
him before he crolTed that river. But with 
my reduced force, any attempt of the fort 
would have been madnefs and folly in the 
extreme. 

With what might poffibly be fpared from 
fuch a force, nothing could be attempted 
except againft detachments from Mr. Wafli- 
ington's army, or (when reinforced in a 
fmall degree) againft fuch of it's diftant ma- 
gazines as might occalionally happen to be 
unguarded. Two of the latter offered, one 
againft Philadelphia, which I certainly ftiould 
have attempted in July, had Lord Corn- 
wallis fpared me any part of 3000 men; 
but as his Lordfliip feemed to think he 

could 



( >5 ,) 
could not hold the ftations we both thought 
eligible, if he fpared me any part of the 
force with him, I was obliged to relinquifli 
this defign. The other much more im- 
portant, was againft Rhode Ifland. I had 
difcovered by intercepted letters from all the 
French Admirals and Generals, that Count 
Rochambeau's army had marched from 
Rhode Ifland to join Mr. Wafhington at the 
White Plains; that their battering train 
and ftores for liege were left at Providence 
under little more than a militia guard; and 
that their fleet remained in Rhode Ifland 
harbour with orders, as foon as repaired, to 
retire to Bofl:on for fecurity. By private in- 
formation, which I had at that time, I found 
alfo that the works at Rhode Ifland were in 
a great meafure difmantled, and had only a 
few invalids and militia to guard them, and 
that they were both there and at Providence 
under great apprehenfions of a vifit from 
us. From other motives as well as my own 

knowledge 



^'V 



( 16 ) 

knowledge of thefe pofts, I had the ftrongefh 
reafon to exped: the fulleft fuccefs to an at- 
tempt againft them, and I therefore immedi- 
ately propofed to Admiral Graves a joint ex- 
pedition for that purpofe; which he readily 
confented to. It was accordingly agreed 
between us, that it fliould be undertaken as 
foon as he could affemble his fleet, and a 
fmall reinforcement (hourly expedted) fhould 
arrive from Europe. The reinforcement 
joined me on the iith of Auguft, and the 
Admiral (who had failed on a cruife) having 
returned to the coaft on the i6th, I imme- 
diately renewed my propofal, (Appendix, No. 
VI.) The Admiral informed me in anfwer, 
that he was under the neceffity of fending 
the Robufte to the yard to be refitted, and 
that he fliould take the opportunity while 
that was doing of fliifting a maft or two in 
the Prudente; and when thofe repairs were 
accomplifhed, he would give me timely 
notice, (Appendix, No. VII.) The fliips 

were 



♦ *- 



( 17 ) 
were not ready on the 28th; Sir Samuel 
Hood, however, arriving on that day, I im- 
mediately ordered the troops to be embarked ; 
and going to the Admirals on Long Ifland, I 
propofed to them that the expedition fhould 
inftantly take place : but receiving intelligence 
that evening that Monfieur De Barras had 
failed on the 25th, it was of courfe flopped. 
Thus, to the Admirals great mortification 
and my own, was loft an opportunity of 
making the moft important attempt that had 
offered the whole war. 

Early in September, to my great furprife, 
(for I ftill conlidered our fleet as fuperior) 
hearing that Mr. Wafliington was decidedly 
marching to the fouthward, I called a council 
of all the general officers, who unanimoufly 
concurred with me in opinion, that the only 
way to fuccour Earl Cornwallis was to go to 
him in the Chefapeak. 

Although I had every reafon to ditapprove 

of Earl Cornwallis's march into Virginia, 

c without 



( -8 ) 
without confulting me, (at the risk of en- 
gaging me in dangerous operations, for which 
I was not prepared) yet, as I fuppofed he ad:ed 
with at leaft the approbation of the Minifter, 
I left him as free as air, when he arrived 
there, to plan and execute according to his 
difcretion; — only recommending to him, in 
cafe he had none of his own, the plan I had 
offered to the Minifter ; which, notwithftand- 
ing the opinion given in the letter of July 14, 
before quoted,* I did not, however, find his 

Lordfliip 

* Extract from Lord George Germain's letter to Sir 
Henry Clinton, July 14, 1781. — "It is with the moft 
unfeigned pleafure I obey his Majefty's commands, in 
exprefling to you his royal approbation of the plan you 
have adopted for profecuting the war in the provinces 
fouth of the Delaware, and of the fuccours you have 
furniftied, and the infl:ru6lions you have given for car- 
rying it into execution. The copies of the very impor- 
tant correfpondence which fo fortunately fell into your 
hands, (inclofed in your difpatch) fliew the rebel affairs 
to be almoft defperate, and that nothing but the succefs 

of 



( -9 ) 
Lordiliip the leafh inclined to adopt. And 
that letter, which I did not receive till Sep- 
tember, found me deeply and dangeroully en- 
gaged in the operation he had forced me into. 
And here, perhaps, it may be proper to 
give the reafons which induced me to recom- 
mend 

of fome extraordinary enterprize can give vigour and 
a6tivity to their caufe ; and I confefs I am well pleafed 
that they have fixed upon New York as the obje6l to be 
attempted, as I have not the leaft doubt but that the 
troops you had remaining with you, after the ample rein- 
forcements you fo judicioufly fent to the Chefapeak, 
would be fully fufficient under your command to repel 
any force the enemy could bring againft you. I cannot 
clofe this letter, wit^hout repeating to you the very great 
fatisfa6lion your difpatch has given me; and my moft 
entire and hearty coincidence with you in the plan you 
have propofed to Lord Cornwallis, for diftrefling the 
rebels, and recovering the fouthern provinces to the King's 
obedience. And as his Lordfhip, when he received your 
letters of the 8th and nth of June, will have fully feen 
the reafonablenefs of it, I have not the leaft doubt but his 
Lordfhip has executed it with his wonted ardor, intrepidity, 
and fuccefs." 



( 20 ) 

mend to Lord Cornwallls to fecure a naval 
ftation for large fliips, if one could be found 
that was capable of being fortified and main- 
tained againft a temporary fuperiority of the 
enemy at fea, agreeable to the inftrudiions 
which I had before given to General Phil- 
lips, and which were of courfe to be now 
confidered as fuch to his Lordfliip, (Ap- 
pendix, No. X.) 

Although I ought not to have apprehend- 
ed that the enemy could have had a fuperi- 
ority at fea, after the alTurances I had re- 
ceived from the Minifter, I yet always 
wifhed to guard againft even a poffibility 
of it. Finding, therefore, by Lord Corn- 
wallis's letters, that on his arrival in the 
Chefapeak, he had no plan of his own to 
propofe, and that he did not incline to 
follow the one I had offered to his con- 
fideration, I recommended the taking a re- 
fped:able defenfive ftation either at Williamf- 
burg, or York (the latter of which his 

Lordlhip 



( 2' ) 

Lordfliip had informed me in a letter, dated 
26th of May, he was indined, from the 
reports which had been made to him, to 
think well of as a naval ftation and place 
of arms) and left his Lordfliip at liberty 
to keep all the troops he had in Virginia, 
(amounting to about feven thoufand men). 
But thinking that he might well fpare three 
thoufand; I deiired he would keep all that 
were neceffary for a refped:able defenfive, 
and defultory water movements, and fend 
me of three thoufand men all he could. 
His Lordfliip mifconceiving my intentions 
(as will, I truft, be manifefl: to whoever 
reads our correfpondence) and confidering 
my call for three thoufand men as uncon- 
ditional, tells me that he could not with 
the remainder keep York and Gloucefter; 
and that he fliould, therefore, repafs James- 
river and go to the ftation at Portfmouth. 
Which refolution (I confefs) furprifed me, 

as 



( 22 ) 

as he had a Uttle before, in the letter above 
quoted, reprefented that poft as unhealthy, 
and requiring an army to defend it. On 
receipt of his Lordfliip's letter, I immedi- 
ately confulted the Admiral, who was of 
of opinion, that a naval ftation for large fliips 
was abfolutely necelTary, and recommended 
Hampton-road. Therefore in my letter of 
the nth July, I directed his Lordlliip to 
examine and fortify Old Point Comfort, 
which the Admiral and I thought would 
cover that Road, and in which there had been 
a fort for that purpofe for fifty years, though 
probably then in ruins. But his Lordfliip in- 
forming me in his letter of the 27th of July, 
that it was the opinion of the captains of the 
navy, the engineers, and himfelf, that any 
works eredied on Old Point Comfort, "might 
"be eafily deftroyed by a fleet, and would 
"not anfwer the purpofe; and that there- 
"fore, according to the fpirit of my orders, 

"he 



( 23 ) 
"he fhould feize York and Gloucefter, as 
"the only harbour in which he could hope 
"to be able to give effectual protection to 
"line of battle fhips;" I fuppofed his Lord- 
fliip had entirely approved of thofe pofts; 
and that after examining them with the 
officers of the King's fliips and his engineer, 
he would let me know if he fhould fee 
reafon to alter his opinion; and confequently 
I did not object to the choice he had made; 
nor indeed had I ever caufe to do fo before 
I faw his letter of the nth of Oftober, 
which I did not receive until the i6th, the 
day before he offered to capitulate, when for 
the firft time I found his Lordfliip thought 
unfavourably of them. For on the i6th of 
Augufl, his Lordfliip told me that he fliould 
apply to the Commodore for a fliip to send 
me a ftate of things at York, and bring him 
back my commands; by which I was of 
courfe to underftand that his Lordfhip would 
fend me his own and the Commodore's opi- 
nion 



( 24 ) 

nion of York and Gloucefter, after his en- 
gineer had made a moft exadt furvey, which 
he told me he was employed in, and of 
which I expecfted a copy, as his Lordfliip 
had before fent me of the one taken of Old 
Point Comfort. But not receiving thefe 
from his Lordfhip, I naturally concluded that 
the poft of York and Gloucefter was fuch as 
his Lordiliip and the Commodore approved; 
efpecially, as his Lordfliip, in his letter of the 
22d of Auguft, was pleafed to fay, "the 
"engineer has finiflied his furvey and exa- 
"mination of this place, (York) and has 
"propofed his plan for fortifying it; which 
"appearing judicious, I have approved, and 
"directed to be executed." And in the same 
letter it was farther implied, that through 
the exertion of the troops, the works would 
be tolerably complete in about fix weeks 
from that period: and from his faying also 
in the same letter, "I will not venture to 

"take 



- ( ^5 ) 
"take any ftep that might retard the efta- 
"blifhing this poft. But I requeft that your 
"Excellency will pleafe to decide whether 
"it is moft important for your plans, that a 
"detachment of a thoufand or twelve hun- 
"dred men (which I think I can fpare from 
"every other purpofe but that of labour) 
" fliould be fent to you from hence, or that 
"the whole of the troops here fliould con- 
"tinue to be employed in expediting the 
"works,") I naturally concluded that his 
Lordiliip had not only fufficient to complete 
his works by the time he mentioned, but that 
he could fpare that number from the defence 
of them afterwards. His Lordfliip's letter of 
the 29th of September moreover told me, " I 
"have no doubt, if relief arrives in any reafon- 
"able time, that both York and Gloucefter 
" will be in polTeffion of his Majesty's troops ;" 
and again, that of the 3d of Oftober, "My 
"works are in a better ftate of defence than 

"we 

D 



( 26 ) 
"we had reafon to hope." In ihort, I think 
his Lordfliip appears to have impUed in all 
his letters, (except that of the 17th of Sep- 
tember, the day he heard from Lieutenant 
Conway of the navy, that Monf De GralTe, 
by the junction of Monlieur de Barras, had 
thirty-five or thirty-fix fail of the line) that 
he could hold out as long as his provifions 
lafi:ed — which was, by his Lordfhip's own 
calculation, to the end of October at leafi:. 

From all thefe circumftances, I had flat- 
tered myfelf, that the works at York would 
have been tolerably complete by the 9th of 
Oftober, the day Mr. Walhington opened 
his batteries againft them : and from the opi- 
nion given me by certain officers of rank, 
who had lately come from Lord Cornwallis 
at York, I was under no apprehenfions for 
his Lordfhip before the latter end of that 
month; as I could not conceive that the 
enemy could pofilbly bring againfi: him fuch 

a powerful 



( 27 ) 

a powerful battering train as would demolifh 
his defences (fuch as I had reafon to hope 
they would be) in fo lliort a fpace of time as 
nine or ten days. 

Although I never gave Lord Cornwallis 
alTurances of the exertions of the navy before 
my letter of the 24th of September, when I 
did it in confequence of a council of war, 
compofed of flag and general officers; I cer- 
tainly never gave his Lordfhip the leaft reafon 
to fuppofe they would not be made; as I 
always took it for granted, before Admiral 
Graves's letter to me of the 9th of September, 
that our fleet was fuperior to that of the enemy. 
Nor, indeed, did I know before I received 
Lord Cornwallis's letter of the 17th, (which 
was not until the 23d of September) that the 
enemy had thirty-lix fail of the line, or that 
Monfleur de Barras had not already joined 
Monfleur de Grafl'e before the acftion of the 
5th of September. But even againfl: this 
fuperiority, great as it was, the Admirals 

were 



( 28 ) 
were clearly of opinion, that a joint attempt 
fliould be made by us to fuccour the fleet 
and army in the Chefapeak. I certainly, 
therefore, never could have hinted to his 
Lordiliip that their exertions would not be 
made. The whole of this matter may, I 
think, be fummed up as follows: 

Lord Cornwallis's march into Virginia, 
without confulting his Commander in Chief, 
forced us into folid operation in that province. 
Being there, as his Lordfhip could not fub- 
iift his army without having a place of arms 
to cover his magazines, &c. &c. &c. it became 
abfolutely necelfary to fix on fome healthy 
and refped:able ftation, that could be made 
fecure againft a temporary fuperiority of the 
enemy at fea ; and York and Gloucefter feem 
to have been originally thought of by Lord 
Cornwallis, and approved by me for that pur- 
pofe. But by his Lordihip's mifconceiving 
my orders, he quitted the Neck of York, and 
confequently relinquiihed every idea of occu- 
pying 



{ 29 ) 

pying thofe pofts. Soon afterwards, the 
Admiral thinking a naval ftation for large 
ihips abfolutely neceffary, and recommend- 
ing Hampton Road, I directed Lord Corn- 
wallis to examine and fortify Old Point 
Comfort in James River; but his Lordfliip 
not approving of that ftation, made choice of 
York and Gloucefter. 

I perfectly agree with Lord Cornwallis, 
that to abandon his pofts, after he had once 
fixed himfelf, (although by doing fo he 
might fave part of his army) would have 
been difgraceful, nay, perhaps fatal to our 
future profped:s of eftablifliment in the Che- 
fapeak, when fuch a meafure fhould be au- 
thorifed by a covering fleet. But even that 
misfortune, great as it may be reprefented, 
would have been preferable to the one which 
happened ; and therefore I told his Lordlhip, 
in a converfation I had with him before I 
fent his letter of the 20th of October to be 
printed at New York, I had conceived hopes, 

that 



( 3° ) 
that between the time of the French fleet's 
arriving in the Chefapeak, and his receiv- 
ing information from me that Sir Samuel 
Hood had joined Mr. Graves, which was not 
until the 13th of September, or between that 
time and the jundion of Mr. Wafliington 
with the Marquis De la Fayette, when his 
Lordfhip heard from Lieutenant Conway of 
the navy, that the enemy were thirty-lix fail 
of the line, he would have tried to efcape 
with part of his army to the fouthward; a 
ftep which certainly would have been jufti- 
fiable, although in the converfation alluded 
to, his Lordfliip did not feem to think it 
would, unlefs I had given him alTurances 
that the navy could not attempt to fuccour 
him; which affurances, however, I certainly 
could not poffibly have given him. 

If, therefore. Lord Cornwallis's letter of 
the 20th of Odober, giving an account of 
the unfortunate conclulion of the campaign, 
by the furrender of York Town, (Appendix, 

No. 



( 3' ) 
No. VIII.) could ever have been underftood 
to imply that the pofts of York and Glou- 
cefter were not his Lordfhip's own choice, 
in preference to Old Point Comfort, which 
I had recommended to him ; or that I had 
ever received information from his Lordfliip, 
that the ground at either was unfavourable, 
till the day before he had offered to capitu- 
late; or that I had ever given him any alTu- 
rances of the exertions of the navy, before 
my letter to him of the 24th of September, 
which he acknowledges he did not receive 
till the 29th; or that any affurances whatfo- 
ever given by me could have prevented his 
attacking the Marquis De la Fayette, before 
Mr. Wafliington joined that General, which 
was on the 27th of September; I am per- 
fuaded it will appear that thofe implications 
are not founded on any orders I gave his 
Lordihip, and cannot be fupported by any 
part of our correfpondence. And as I took 
an opportunity of telling his Lordihip the 

fame. 



■- ( 32 ) 
fame, in a letter I lent him before he failed 
from New-York, dated the 2d and loth of 
December (which letter, however, did not 
appear when this part of our correfpondence 
was produced before the Houfe of Lords) I 
cannot doubt his Lordfliip is convinced that 
what I therein alTerted is right. 

Lord Cornwallis was pleafed to tell me 
that his letter of the 20th of Odiober, was 
written under great agitation of mind and in 
a great hurry. No man could pofTibly feel 
for his Lordfliip, and his dreadful fituation, 
more than I did. And I will venture to fay, 
no man could be more anxious, or would 
have gone greater lengths to fuccour him. 
Nor will this, I truft, be doubted, when it is 
recoUedied that the propofal firft came from 
me for embarking fix thoufand men for that 
purpofe on board an inferior fleet of twenty- 
feven fail of the line, including two fifties, to 
thirty-lix; and thereby putting the fate of 
the American war on the joint exertions of 

the 



( 33 ) 
the fleet and army, to relieve that noble Lord 
and his gallant corps. 

I have to lament that thefe exertions could 
not have been made in time. All the Admi- 
rals feemed of opinion at the council of war 
of the 24th September that there was every 
reafon to hope that the fleet would be ready 
to fail on the 5th of October. The troops 
intended for the expedition had been for 
fome time in readinefs to embark, and did 
actually do fo early in Odiober. It feemed 
alfo to be the general opinion of the Admi- 
rals, that the enemy, although fuperior in 
number, could not obfl:ru6t the channel to 
York-river, fo as to prevent the pafl^age 
of our fleet, much lefs both paflages of 
the Chefapeak. Could the troops, which 
embarked under my immediate command, 
have been put on fliore on the Gloucefter 
fide, a junction with the part of Lord Corn- 
wallis's corps on that fide was easy : but if 

they 



( 34 ) 
they had been put on lliore, even in James 
River, although a junction with his Lord- 
lliip in York would have been fcarcely pradii- 
cable, it might have been made in fome other 
part; or at leaft fuch diverlions might have 
been made by the troops under my command 
as might have laved part of his Lordlhip's 
corps, (Appendix, No. XI.) 

I muft, therefore, repeat that I lament, 
and ever lliall, that thofe exertions could 
not have been made in time. Becaufe, from 
the profeffional merit of the Admirals who 
were to conduct us, and from the zeal 
K which appeared fo confpicuous when I pro- 
pofed the move to them ; and which, from 
their example was communicated to all 
ranks in the fleet; and with which, it is to 
be prefumed, thofe of the army kept fully 
equal pace ; I have every reafon to think we 
(hould have had moft complete fuccefs. 

But at the fame time, that truth com- 
pels 



'H 



( 35 ) 
pels me to impute our misfortunes ulti- 
mately to the want of a covering fleet in 
the Chefapeak, I think it right to declare 
that, as a land officer, I do not feel myfelf 
a competent judge of the propriety and 
practicability of naval operations. Nor can 
I, as a fervant of the State, entrufted with 
an important, but partial command, pre- 
fume to enter into the counfel of Miniflers; 
who, from a more elevated ftation, furvey 
and balance the whole fyftem of the cam- 
paign, and the general fafety and welfare of 
the empire.* 



Upon 



* "I am, however, aware of the difficulties Adminis- 
tration muft neceflarily be expofed to, from the variety of 
important matters which demand its attention. And far 
be it from me, my Lord, to impute the delays I have ex- 
perienced to any of the King's Ministers; but I cannot 
avoid lamenting that they do happen, and I tremble for 
the fatal confequences which may poffibly fome time or 
other enfue." — Sir Henry Clinton's letter to Lord George 
Germain, dated April 30, 1781. 



( 36 ) 
Upon the whole, I am perfuaded, that had 
I been left to my own plans, and a proper 
confidence had been earlier repofed in me, 
the campaign of 1781 would not probably 
have ended unfortunately. But though that 
apparent want of confidence was at laft re- 
moved,* and the fulleft approbation I could 

wifh 

* "The uneafinefs you exprefs on a certain occafion, 
muft have ceafed long before this reaches you, and, I 
truft, in full time to prevent your refigning the command 
to Earl Cornwallis. The meflage I fent you by Lieu- 
tenant-colonel Bruce was taken in writing to avoid any 
miftakes: for, as I was confcious of your having every 
reafon to be fatisfied with the protection fhewn to you by 
the King, and with the conftant defire of his Minifters to 
give you all poilible fupport, I could not help regretting 
that there ftiould have been the leaft appearance of that 
want of confidence between us, which might prejudice 
the public fervice. Your explanation upon that fubje6l 
is perfectly fatisfadlory ; and you may depend upon find- 
ing every attention on my part to thofe requifitions which 
you may have occafion to make. The variety of fervices 
now carrying on in different parts of the world muft 

account 



( 37 ) 
wifli given to the operations I had projed:ed, 
my knowledge of the change happened too 
late to extricate me from the confequences 
of Lord Cornwallis's ill-fated march into 
Virginia, and the orders they had probably 
occafioned. Forefeeing many of the evils 
which would refult from this fatal move 
the inftant I heard of it, I immediately at 
the time communicated my apprehenfions to 
the American Minifter. And as my letter 
to him of .the i8th of July, 1781, fpeaks 
very fully on this and other matters, of which 
I fear the public has been hitherto equally 
mifmformed, I fhall take the liberty to con- 
clude this Narrative with the following ex- 
trad: from it : 

**I can 

account for the difappointments you fometimes fuffer. 
But you may reft afllired, that every department of 
Government is anxious to furnifti you with the moft 
effe6lual means of carrying on the war with honour to 
yourfelf, and with advantage to the State." — Extrad from 
Lord George Germain's Letter to Sir Henry Clinton, 
dated July 7th, 1781. 



( 38 ) 
"I can fay little more to your Lord- 
fliip's fanguine hopes of the fpeedy reduc- 
tion of the fouthern provinces, than to la- 
ment that the prefent ftate of the war there 
does not altogether promife fo flattering an 
event. Many untoward incidents, of which 
your Lordfliip was not apprifed, have thrown 
us too far back to be able to recover very 
foon, even what we have lately loft there. 
For if (as I have often before fuggefted) the 
good-will of the inhabitants is abfolutely 
requifite to retain a country, after we have 
conquered it; I fear it will be fometime be- 
fore we can recover the confidence of thofe 
in Carolina, as their paft fufferings will of 
courfe make them cautious of publicly for- 
warding the King's interefts before there is 
the ftrongeft certainty of his army being in 
a condition to fupport them. I ihall, there- 
fore, mofi: cordially join with your Lord- 
fhip, in condemning the bad policy of taking 
polTeflion of places at one time, and abandon- 
ing 



( 39 ) 
ing them at another; and in the opinion 
that the war fliould be conducted upon a 
permanent and fettled plan of conqueft, by 
fecuring and preferving what has been re- 
covered. But if thefe maxims have been, 
on any occafion, deviated from in the paft 
progrefs of the war; I muff, in juftice to 
myfelf declare, that it has never been war- 
ranted by my orders, except, only in the 
cafe of Rhode-Ifland. This I doubt not 
will appear from the inftrudiions I gave to 
General Leflie, and the other general offi- 
cers, whom I fent on expeditions to the 
Chefapeak. For if Lord Cornwallis made 
a defultory move into North Carolina, and 
without a force fufficient to protect, or pro- 
vifions to fupport them, invited by procla- 
mation, the Loyalifts to join him, and after- 
wards found it neceifary to quit the friendly 
diftrid:s of that province, before he could 
have time to give them a fair trial, I am 
perfuaded your Lordlhip will acknowledge 

he 



( 40 ) 
he did not a6l under my inftrudtions : — 
nor were his Lordlliip's retreat to Wilming- 
ton, and fubfequent move from thence to 
Virginia, in confequence of my orders: on 
the contrary, as I forefaw all the unhappy 
confequences of them, I fhould certainly 
have endeavoured to have ftopt him, could 
I have known his intentions in proper time. 
But though his Lordfliip's movements, 
(which it muft be confelfed have been as 
rapid as your Lordfliip expelled) have not to 
my fincere concern been fuccefsfully decifive ; 
I am convinced he is, as I hope we all are, 
imprelTed with the abfolute neceiTity of vigor- 
ous exertions in the fervice of his country at 
the prefent crifis. If mine, however, have 
not been equal to my inclinations, I have 
little doubt they will be found to be at leafl 
equal to my powers. 

" I lliall now, my Lord, beg leave to con- 
clude with the ftrongeft alTurances, that no 
man can be more fervently defirous than I 

am 



( 4- ) 
am to fee an honourable end put to this 
moft burthenfome war. And if I remain in 
the command, that no endeavours of mine 
fliall be wanting to execute, in the fulleft 
manner, the King's pleafure and commands. 
Of the 10,000 men I foUcited, only 4000 
were even promifed; and no portion of 
thefe, except a few recruits, has yet joined 
this part of the army. Your Lordiliip's 
laft letters, however, give me hopes, that 
three Britifli battalions and two thoufand 
fix hundred German troops may be immedi- 
ately expected. If all thefe arrive, I fliall 
then be able, at a proper feafon to reinforce 
the Chefapeak corps very confiderably; and 
if a reinforcement does not likewife come 
to the French armament already here, fuch 
operations may be carried on as may perhaps 
produce fome advantages in the courfe of 
the Winter. But if our reinforcement does 
not arrive, and the French fliould receive 

theirs, 

F 



( 42 ) 
theirs, I think we fliall have every thing to 
apprehend. 

Before I clofe, however, I beg leave to fay 
a word or two in explanation of two obfer- 
vations, in the Commiffioners of Accounts 
Seventh Report; in order to obviate any im- 
plied cenfure, they may be fuppofed to point 
againft me as Commander in Chief of the 
army in North America. 

The Commiffioners are pleafed to fay, 
"It appears that the number of the forces 
"decreafed every year, from 1778, but the 
"ilTue for the extraordinary fervices of that 
"army greatly encreafed, during the fame 
"period." 

And again, "In the account of the ilfues 
"to the officers in the four departments, 
"we find that the warrants iffiaed to the 
" (^larter-mafter's-general, lince the i6th 
"July 1780, and to the Barrack-mafter's- 
" general fince the 29th June 1780, and to 
"the Commifiaries-general, fince the 25th 

"of 



( 43 ) 
"of May 1778, have been all temporary, for 
"fums on account; and that no final warrant 
" has been granted fince thofe feveral periods. 
" So that thefe fums have been ilTued, with- 
"out even the ceremony of a quarterly 
"abftrad:, and the confidential reliance on 
"the officer, that his vouchers are forth 
"coming." 

I arrived in London many days before the 
Commiffioners of Accounts delivered in their 
Seventh Report to the House of Commons. 
Had thofe Gentlemen called upon me, as 
they did on Sir William Howe, and Lord 
Cornwallis; had they examined certain offi- 
cers of the different departments, who arrived 
in England at the time I did, and who an- 
nounced themfelves to them; and had they 
read all the Reports of the different Boards 
of General Officers and Magiftrates, that 
had been appointed by me at New York, to 
enquire into the expenditure of public mo- 
ney, (all which reports had been fent to the 

Lords 



( 44 ) 
Lords Commiffioners of the Treafury many 
months before) I am perfuaded that their 
Report would not have appeared on the 
table of the Houfe of Commons in the fliape 
it has done. For when they were informed 
(as they would have been by the means juft 
ftated) that all the rum purchafed for the 
fupply of the army during the whole period 
of my command, was paid for in America 
by my warrants, whereas before then it ufed 
to be paid for in England; that confiderable 
fums of money were paid on my warrants 
for expences incurred during the command 
of my predeceflbr, which could not be brought 
to account fooner; that provilions to a very 
confiderable amount were purchafed in Ame- 
rica, and paid for in America on my war- 
rants, for the fupply of the army, which 
might otherwife have been expofed to the 
greatefl: diftrefs; all which together amount- 
ed to nearly 1,500,0001. and that the in- 
creafe of pofts, during my command, at 

Savannah, 



( 45 ) 
Savannah, Charles Town, Cape Fear, Portl- 
mouth, Penobfcot, &c. requiring each their 
refpe6tive eftabHfliments, added of courfe to 
the extraordinaries of my army; and that, 
befides thefe, and many others which I 
could enumerate, the peculiar circumftances 
of my command expofed me to many ex- 
pences unknown to my predecelTor; it is 
prefumed, thofe Gentlemen would have ad- 
mitted, that the increafe of the ifTues for 
the extraordinary fervices of the army un- 
der my command, was accounted for. 
This matter, however, went, by my de- 
lire, through a very full and formal invefti- 
gation, in Auguft 1781, before a Board of 
general officers and magiftrates (of which 
Lieutenant-general Robertfon was Prefident) 
under the title of a Comparative View of 
Expences incurred, from the 31ft December, 
1775, to the 1 6th of May, 1778 (the time 
of Sir William Howe's command) and of 
what was paid by me, between the 26th of 

May 



( 46 ) 
May 1778, and the 3111 of December 1780. 
Which produced the following report from 
that Board. 

"The great national expence in the 
"firft period of Sir William Howe's com- 
"mand, arofe from the whole navy, and 
*'a very numerous fleet of tranfports, be- 
ting employed in attending the move- 
"ments of the army; no part of which 
"appears in Sir William Howe's war- 
grants. 

"The expence of the Quarter-mafter- 
" general, Barrack-mafter-general, and En- 
"gineer departments, were necefTarily fmall, 
"while the troops were on board fhips, or 
"had thus fupplies from tranfports. 

"During part of the firft period, the 
"great article of expence, riwiy was pro- 
"vided for by a contrad: made in Eng- 
"land, and paid for there. Whereas, du- 
"ring the fecond period, the rum was pur- 
chafed 



( 47 ") 
"chafed by the Commiirary-general, and 
"paid for by the Commander in Chief's 
"warrants. A very large quantity of pro- 
" vilions purchafed alfo, during the latter 
"period, fwells the amount of the war- 
" rants. 

"But what deftroys a poffibility of draw- 
"ing any jufh conclufion from a comparifon 
"of the amount of the warrants in thefe 
"two periods, arifes from this; that a great 
"part of the expence incurred by Sir Wil- 
"liam Howe, was paid by warrants granted 
"by Sir Henry Clinton." 

This report having been regularly tranf- 
mitted to the Treafury, I muft fuppofe it 
was laid before the Commiffioners of Ac- 
counts. Had it been read by thofe Gentle- 
men, it is prefumable it would have, at leaft, 
accompanied theirs. 

With regard to the fecond obfervation 
alluded to, refpedting my not granting final 
warrants to certain departments from certain 

periods ; 



( 48 ) 
periods; if the commillioners had read all the 
above papers, I think it would have occurred 
to them; that as a CommilTary of Accounts 
had been commiffioned, and was actually 
employed in auditing the accounts of the 
different departments, I could not, with 
propriety, grant final warrants to any of the 
departments upon their quarterly abftrafts 
(as had been before prad:ifed) untill their 
accounts had been firft audited and certified 
by the CommilTary. 

As to the mode of fupply which I found 
eftabliflied, when I fucceeded to the com- 
mand of the army in North America, and 
which I underftood had been approved by 
Government, I certainly could not, in pru- 
dence, have made any alterations or reduc- 
tion in it, as long as I had ofFenfive opera- 
tion in view. The inftant, however, that 
I received orders to place the army upon a 
ftridl defenfive, I propofed fuch a reduction 
as could take place. And when I obtained 

his 



( 49 ) 
his Majefty's permiffion to refign the com- 
mand, I recommended it to General Ro- 
bertfon, who was appointed to fucceed 
me. 

(Signed) 

"H. CLINTON." 



APPENDIX. 



( 5> ) 



APPENDIX 



NUMBER I. 

ExtraB of a Letter from Lord George Ger- 
mahi to Sir Henry Clinto?i^ dated May 
2, 1781. 

Conceiving therefore fo highly as 
I do of the importance of the Southern pro- 
vinces, and of the vaft advantages which muft 
attend the profecution of the war upon the 
prefent plan of extending our conquefts from 
fouth to north; it was a great mortification 
to me to find, by your inftrudtion to Major- 
General Phillips, that it appeared to be your 
intention that only a part of the troops he 
carried with him (hould remain in the Chefa- 

peak; 



52 APPENDIX. 

peak ; and that he and General Arnold 
Ihould return to New York, leaving only a 
fufficient force to ferve for garrifons in the 
pofls they might eftablilli in Virginia. Your 
ideas, therefore, of the importance of reco- 
vering that province appearing to be fo dif- 
ferent from mine, I thought it proper to afk 
the advice of his Majefty's other fervants 
upon the fubjed:; and their opinions concur- 
ring entirely with mine, it has been fubmit- 
ted to the King; and I am commanded by 
his Majefty to acquaint you that the reco- 
very of the Southern Provinces and the pro- 
fecution of the war, by pufhing our conquefts 
from fouth to north, is to be confidered as 
the chief and principal objed: for the em- 
ployment of all the forces under your com- 
mand, which can be fpared from the defence 
of the places in his Majefty's polTefTion, until 
it is accompliflied. 

"The three regiments from Ireland, and 
the Britifli recruits that went with them, are, 

I trull. 



APPENDIX. ^2 

I truft, well on their way by this time to 
Charles Town; and as Sir George Rodney 
will bring you three more regiments from 
the Leeward Illands before the hurricane 
months, the augmentation of your force 
muft, I iliould think, be equal to the utmoft 
of your wiflies. 

NUMBER II. 

EiXlraB of a Letter fro?n Lord George Ger- 
main to Sir He?iry Clinton, dated June 6, 
1781. 

" I SHALL therefore only obferve in ad- 
dition to all I have hitherto written upon the 
the fubjeft, that I am well pleafed to find 
Lord Cornwallis's opinion entirely coincides 
with mine of the great importance of pulliing 
the war on the fide of Virginia with all the 
force that can be fpared until that province 
is reduced." 

NUMBER 



54 APPENDIX. 

NUMBER III. 

Copy of a Letter frofn Rear Admiral Sir 
S. Hood to Sir H. Clinton^ dated off Cape 
Henry, Augiiji 25, 1781. 

"S I R, 
" HEREWITH you will receive a dupli- 
cate of the letter I had the honour to write 
you by Lieut. Delanoe of the Ad:ive brig, in 
cafe any misfortune fhould have befallen her 
in returning to New York. I am now 
fteering for Cape Henry, in order to examine 
the Chefapeak. From thence I fhall proceed 
to the Capes of the Delaware ; and not feeing, 
or hearing any thing of De GralTe, or any 
detachment of fhips he might have fent upon 
this coaif, fhall then make the beft of my 
way off Sandy Hook. This I have commu- 
nicated to Rear Admiral Graves, in order 
that he may determine my anchoring or not, 
as the King's fervice may require. 



I ha 



ave 



APPENDIX. SS 

"I have the honour to fend you my Hne 
of battle, by which you will fee the number 
and force of his Majefty's fquadron under my 
command; and, I truft, you will think it 
equal, fully to defeat any defigns of the ene- 
my, let De GralTe bring or fend what fliips 
he may, in aid to thofe under De Barras. 

"I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed) "SAM. HOOD." 

NUMBER IV. 

Copy of a Letter from General WaJJjhigto?i to 
Count De GraJJey dated Williamjhiirgy Sep- 
tember 26, 1 78 1. 

" I AM unable to defcribe to your Excel- 
lency the painful anxiety under which I have 
laboured fince the reception of the letter you 
did me the honour to write me of the 23d 
inftant. The motions of the naval force under 
your command, which your Excellency fays 
may polhbly happen, fince the information 

communicated 



S6 APPENDIX. 

communicated to you by the Baron de 
Clozen, obliges me to point out the confe- 
quences that may follow; and warmly to 
urge a perfeverance in the plan agreed upon 
between us. Permit me, in the iirft place, to 
repeat to your Excellency, that the attempt 
upon York, under the protection of your 
fhipping, is as certain of fuccefs as a fuperior 
force and a fuperiority of meafures can render 
any military operation; that the duration of 
the iiege may be exactly afcertained ; and that 
the capture of the Britifh army is a matter fo 
important in itself, and in its confequences, 
that it muft greatly tend to bring an end to the 
war, and put our allied arms in certain pofTef- 
iion of the moft ineftimable advantages. 

" If your Excellency quits the Bay, an ac- 
cefs is open to relieve York, of which the 
enemy will inftantly avail themselves. The 
confequences of this will be not only the dif- 
grace of- abandoning a delign on which are 
founded the faireft hopes of the allied forces, 

after 



APPENDIX. 57 

after a prodigious expence, fatigue, and exer- 
tions; but the probable dilbanding of the 
whole army; for the prefent feat of war be- 
ing fuch, as abfolutely precludes the ufe of 
waggons, from the great number of large 
rivers which interfedt the country, there will 
be a total want of provifions, unlefs this in- 
convenience is remedied by water carriage. 
This province has been fo exhaufted by the 
ravages of the enemy, and by the support 
already given to our forces, that fubliftence 
muft be drawn from a diftance, and that can 
be done only by a fleet fuperior in the Bay. 

*'I earneftly beg your Excellency would 
conlider, that if, by moving your fleet from 
the lituation agreed on, we lofe the prefent 
opportunity, we fhall never hereafter have it 
in our power to ftrike fo decifive a ftroke, 
that the Britilli will labour without intermif- 
lion to fortify a place fo ufeful to their lliip- 
ping ; and that then the period of an honoura- 
ble peace will be farther diftant than ever. 
H "The 



58 APPENDIX. 

"The confidence I have in your Excellen- 
cy's manly fpirit and naval talents leaves me 
no doubt that the confideration of the confe- 
quences that muft follow your departure from 
the Bay will determine you to ufe all poffible 
means for the good of the common caufe. 
From the afiurances of the mofi: expert failors, 
I am perfuaded that your Excellency may 
take fuch a pofition in the Bay as to leave no- 
thing to be apprehended from an attempt of 
the Englifli fleet; that this pofition will at the 
fame time facilitate the operations of the fiege, 
fecure the tranfportation of our provifions by 
water, and accellerate our approaches by land- 
ing our heavy artillery and warlike necefiaries 
in York River almoft clofe to our trenches. 

"The force faid to have arrived under Ad- 
miral Digby, as the news comes from the Bri- 
tifli themselves, may not only be exaggera- 
ted, but perhaps abfolutely falfe; but fuppo- 
fing it to be true, their whole force united 
cannot be fuch as to give them any hopes of 

fuccefs 



APPENDIX. 59 

fuccefs in the attacking your fleet. If the 
pofition for your ihips to he at an anchor, 
which we agreed upon, has lince appeared 
impracticable, there is ftill another meafure 
may be adopted; which, though much in- 
ferior as to the fecurity and faciUty it will 
give to our land operations, may flill be of 
advantage to our affairs. The meafure, I 
mean, is to cruife off the Bay, fo as to keep 
the Capes always in fight, and to prevent any 
Englifli veffels getting in. 

"Whatever plan you may adopt, I am to 
prefs your Excellency to perfevere in the 
fcheme fo happily concerted between us ; but 
if you fhould find infurmountable obfi:acles 
in the way, let me ultimately beg of you not 
to relinquifh the laff mentioned alternative 
of preventing all veffels from the enemy 
entering the Bay of Chesapeak. 

"The Britifli Admiral may manoeuvre 
his fleet, and endeavour to draw you from 
the main objed: we have in view; but I can 

never 



6o APPENDIX. 

never believe, that he will ferioufly wifh to 
bring on a general action with a fleet, whofe 
force, I will anfwer for it, is fuperior to the 
mofl exaggerated accounts we have of theirs. 
Fafl^ed experience has taught them not to 
hazard themfelves with equal numbers; and 
has drawn from them, though unwillingly, 
the moft refped:ful opinions of their enemy. 

"Permit me to add that the abfence of 
your fleet from the Bay may fruftrate our de- 
fign upon the garrifon at York. For in the 
prefent lituation of matters. Lord Cornwallis 
might evacuate the place with the loss of his 
artillery, baggage, and a few men, facrifices; 
which would be highly jufl:ifiable from the 
defire of faving the body of the army. 

"The Marquis de la Fayette, who does 
me the honour to carry this letter to your 
Excellency, will explain to you better than 
any other perfon, or than I can do by letter, 
many particulars of our prefent pofition. Your 
Excellency is acquainted with his candour and 

talents. 



APPENDIX. 6i 

talents, which entitles him to your confidence 
I have ordered him not to pafs the Cape for 
fear of accident, in cafe you fliould be at fea. 
If this be fo, he will inclofe this difpatch in 
a letter from himself, 

"I have the honour, &c. 

*'G. WASHINGTON." 



NUMBER V. 

ExtraB from Lord George Germaiii s Let- 
ter to Sir Henry Clinton^ dated OBober 1 2, 
1781. 

"IT is a great fatisfadlion to me to find 
your ideas of the importance of fecuring a 
naval ftation in the Chefapeak capable of 
giving protection to the King's iliips, ap- 
pointed to intercept the navigation of that 
Bay, fo entirely coincided with my own; and 
that the plan you had concerted for con- 
dueling the military operations in that quarter 

correfponds 



62 APPENDIX. 

correfponds with what I had fuggefted in my 
former letters to you on that fubjed:. I truft, 
therefore that Lord CornwalHs will retain the 
whole of the troops you fo very properly 
fpared for the fervice in the Chefapeak: or 
if he has fent you any part, that you will re- 
turn them to him. And as foon as the heats 
are abated, tranfport a ftrong detachment to 
Baltimore, &c. 

** The provilion you made for the fouthern 
fervice was certainly moil: ample. And I have 
always conlidered and fpoke of it as a circum- 
ftance highly to your honour; and as an evi- 
dence of your being actuated by the pureft 
zeal for the public fervice. And though I 
lament exceedingly that from a concurrence 
of untoward events, the fuccefs was not equal 
to the fanguine expediations I had enter- 
tained, I never imputed any part of the difap- 
pointment to a deficiency in your fupplies." 

NUM- 



APPENDIX. 62 

NUMBER VI. 

BtXtraB from Sir Henry Clinton s Letter to 
Kear-Adtniral Graves ^ dated Aiigiijl 16, 
1781. 

"I CANNOT fay I credit the reports of 
the French being upon the coaft. Should 
they prove falfe, and there was little probabi- 
lity of their coming for a week or ten days, 
I think thofe could not be better employed 
than in a.vifit to Rhode-Ifland. The recruits 
I have lately received enable me to make this 
offer, whenever you think it prudent to at- 
tempt it. If you determine, I requeft that 
Captain Duncan may dired: the water-move- 
ments of the army." 

RxtraB from Sir Henry Clinton s Letter to 
Rear- Admiral Graves, dated Auguji 18, 
1781. 

"WHENEVER, Sir, you think the fleet 
under your command is in number and ftate 

equal 



64 APPENDIX. 

equal to the undertaking, and you will give 
me twenty-four hours notice, every thing 
fhall be immediately embarked; and I fliall 
with pleafure accompany you myself on it." 

NUMBER VII. 

ExtraBs from Kear- Admiral Graves's Letters 
to Sir H. Clinton, dated i8 and 21 Auguji, 
1781. 

"IN anfwer to your propofition, I can 
only alTure you by letter, what I had the ho- 
nour to declare in perfon, that I am ready to 
concur with your Excellency in any enter- 
prize where you found a probability of fuc- 
cefs; and that I would rifk the fquadron 
whenever you thought it advifeable to rifk 
the army. 

"The Robufte is fo leaky, I am forced to 
fend her to the yard for reparation; and I 
fufped: that her guns and heavy furniture 
muft be taken out to enable the fliipwrights 

to 



APPENDIX. 65 

to examine as much of her bottom as poffible. 
Whilft that is doing, the Prudent will change 
one of her mafts, if not two. By this ftate 
you will fee our naval capacity. 21 Auguft, 
1 78 1. How foon the Robufte will be ready 
is yet impoffible to form a judgement upon, 
as we cannot yet learn the extent of her de- 
feats. The Prudent will, I am confident, be 
ready in much lefs time; and fo will all the 
other lliips, I have not a doubt. 

"Your Excellency may reft alfured that 
timely notice fliall be given, and as early as 
poffible to determine upon the day the fqua- 
dron will be fit to ad:; for I would not wiih 
that a fingle day fhould be loft." 

NUMBER VIII. 

ExtraB from Lord Cornwallis s Letter to Sir 
H. Clinton. Tork Town^ Virginia, 20 Oc- 
tober, 1 78 1. 

*' I HAVE the mortification to inform 

your Excellency, that I have been forced to 

I give 



66 APPENDIX. 

give up the ports of York and Gloucefter, 
and to furrender the troops under my com- 
mand, by capitulation, on the 19th inftant, 
as prifoners of war to the combined forces 
of America and France. 

" I never faw this poft in a favourable 
light. But, when I found I was to be at- 
tacked in it, in fo unprepared a ftate, by fo 
powerful an army and artillery, nothing but 
the hopes of relief would have induced me to 
attempt its defence. For I would either 
have endeavoured to efcape to New York, by 
rapid marches from the Gloucefter fide, im- 
mediately on the arrival of General Walhing- 
ton's troops at Williamfburg ; or I would, 
notwithftanding the difparity of numbers, 
have attacked them in the open field, where 
it might have been justpofiible that Fortune 
would have favoured the gallantry of the hand- 
ful of troops under my command. But, being 
alfured by your Excellency's letters that every 
pofiible means would be tried, by the navy 

and 



APPENDIX. 67 

and army, to relieve us, I could not think 
myfelf at liberty to venture on either of thofe 
defperate attempts. Therefore, after remain- 
ing two days in a ftrong polition, in front 
of this place, in hopes of being attacked, 
upon obferving that the enemy were taking 
meafures which could not fail of turning my 
left flank in a fliort time; and receiving, the 
fecond evening, your letter of the 24th Sep- 
tember, informing me that the relief would 
fail about the 5th of October, I withdrew 
within the works on the night of the 29th of 
September, hoping, by the labour and firm- 
nefs of the troops, to protrad: the defence un- 
til you could arrive. Every thing was to be 
exped:ed from the firmnefs of the troops. 
But every difadvantage attended their labour; 
as the works were to be continued under the 
enemy's fire; and our ftock of intrenching- 
tools, which did not much exceed four hun- 
dred when we began to work in the latter 
end of Auguft, was now much diminifhed. 

"A 



68 APPENDIX. 

" A fuccefsful defence, however, in our 
fituation, was perhaps impoffible; for the 
place could only be reckoned an intrenched 
camp, fubjed: in moft places to enfilade; and 
the ground in general fo difadvantageous, 
that nothing but the neceffity of fortifying it 
as a poft to proted: the navy could have in- 
duced any perfon to ered: works upon it." 



Copy of a Letter from Sir Henry Clinton to 
Earl Cornwallisy dated 30 November^ 1781. 

[This letter was not produced in the House of Lords.] 

" My Lord, 
" AFTER the converfation I had with 
your Lordihip before I fent your letter to be 
publifhed, in which we feemed fo perfedly 
to agree, I muft beg your Lordlliip's pardon 
for again troubling you on the fubjeft. But, 
being informed, perhaps officioufly, that fome 
people here fuppofe there are palTages in that 

letter 



APPENDIX. 69 

letter which convey an idea that you had 
been compelled by my orders to take the 
poft of York, (though it was not your own 
preference;) that you had reprefented the 
defeats of the ground; and were detained 
there contrary to your own judgement; — and 
likewife that I had promifed the exertions 
of the navy before my letter of the 24th of 
September: I am perfuaded your Lordfhip 
will readily excufe my requefting a more 
formal avowal of your fentiments, left I 
fhould have then miftaken them. Becaufe, 
if that fhould unfortunately be the case, I 
may perhaps be under the neceffity of taking 
meafures to obviate your letter being viewed 
in the fame light in England. 

" I have the honour, &c. 

"H. CLINTON." 



70 APPENDIX. 



NUMBER IX. 

Copy of Earl Cornwallis's Letter to Sir Henry 
Clint on f dated New Tork, 2d December, 
1781. 

[This letter was read in the House of Lords.] 

"SIR, 

"YESTERDAY afternoon I was ho- 
noured with your Excellency's letter of the 
30th of November. 

" I do not recoiled: that any converfation 
palfed between us the other day, before the 
publication of my letter, relative to my rea- 
fons for taking polfeffion of the pofts of York 
and Gloucefter. But, in my anfwers to your 
difpatches, dated the 8th and nth of July, 
directing me fo pofitively to polfefs a harbour 
in the Chefapeak for line of battle iliips, your 
Excellency will fee, that, after finding that 
works on Point Comfort could not proted a 

naval 



APPENDIX. 71 

naval force in Hampton Road, I thought that 
I a6ted in ftrid: obedience to your orders by 
taking pofTeffion of thofe pofts. I thought it 
unnecefTary to enter into a minute detail of 
the difadvantages of the ground, either on my 
firft examination of it in the month of June, 
or on my return to it in Auguft; becaufe, on 
the firft occalion, as I have already had the 
honour of explaining to your Excellency, I 
did not, after feeing it, entertain for a moment 
an idea of occupying it, not thinking myfelf 
at liberty, by the inftrudlions under which I 
then adled, to detain the greater part of the 
force in Virginia for the purpofe of fecuring a 
harbour for fliips of the line ; and, on my re- 
turn to it in Augufl, I thought it then became 
my duty to make the beft of it I could, having 
no other harbour to propofe in its place. 

" In regard to the promife of the exertions 
of the navy previous to your letter of the 24th 
of September, I can only repeat what I had 

the 



72 APPENDIX. 

the honour of laying to your Excellency in 
the converfation to which you allude; that, 
without any particular engagement for the 
navy before that date, all your letters held out 
uniformly hopes of relief; and that I had no 
reafon, from any of them, to fuppofe that you 
had loft fight of the poffibility of effecting it. 
And that, under thofe hopes, after serious re- 
flexion, I did not think that it would have 
been justifiable in me to abandon thofe pofts, 
with our numerous fick, artillery, ftores, and 
fliipping; or to rifk an adiion, which, in all 
probability, would in its confequences have 
precipitated the lofs of them. 

"My letter from York, dated the 20th of 
Odlober, was written under great agitation of 
mind and in great hurry, being conftantly in- 
terrupted by numbers of people coming upon 
bufinefs or ceremony. But my intention in 
writing that letter was to explain the motives 
that influenced my own condud:, and to nar- 
rate 



APPENDIX. 73 

rate the incidents that preceded the extremity 
that forced us to furrender. 

" I have the honour, &c. 

*' CORNWALLIS." 

NUMBER IX. 

Copy of a Letter from Sir Henry Clmton to 
Earl Cornwallisy dated New Torky 2d and 
\oth 'December y 1781. 

[This letter was not read in the House of Lords.] 

" My Lord, 

" AS your Lordfhip is pleafed, in your 
letter of this day, to revert to the circumftance 
of your quitting WilHamfburg Neck and re- 
paffing the James River, fo contrary to the 
intentions I wiflied to exprefs in my letters of 
the I ith and 15th of June, and thofe referred 
to by them, and which I thought they would 
have clearly explained. Your Lordfhip will, I 
hope, forgive me, if I once more repeat that I 
K am 



74 APPENDIX. 

am of opinion, if thofe letters had been proper- 
ly underftood by your Lordfliip, you would 
at leaft have helitated before you adopted that 
meafure. For I humbly prefume it will ap- 
pear, upon a re-perufal of them, that it was 
my delire to recommend to your Lordfliip the 
taking a healthy defenlive ftation, either at 
Williamfburg or York; and, after keeping 
what troops you might want for the ample 
defence of fuch a poft, and defultory move- 
ments by water, to fend me fuch a proportion 
of the corps (mentioned in a lift) as you could 
fpare, taking them in the fucceffion they are 
there placed. Your Lordfliip, on the con- 
trary, underftood thefe as conveying a pofitive 
order to fend me three thoufand men, (by 
which you fay your force would have been 
reduced to about two thoufand four hundred 
rank and file fit for duty; — having, it is 
prefumed, above 1500 fick;) and was pleafed 
to tell me, in your answer, that you could not, 
confiftent with my plans, make fafe defenfive 

pofts 



APPENDIX. 75 

pofts at York and Gloucefter, (both of which 
would be necellary for the proted:ion of flip- 
ping;) and that you iliould immediately re- 
pafs James River, and take meafures for com- 
plying with my requilition. 

" I own, my Lord, that my opinion of the 
obvious meaning of the letters referred to, 
continues ftill the fame ; and I am exceedingly 
forry to find, by the letter you have now 
honoured me with, that it differs fo widely 
from your Lordfliip's. It is plain, however, 
we cannot both be in the right. 

" My letter of the 1 1 th of July directs your 
Lordfhip to fortify Old Point Comfort, in 
the mouth of James River, with the inten- 
tion of fecuring Hampton Road, which the 
Admiral recommended as the befl naval Na- 
tion, and requefted I would occupy. But your 
Lordfhip's letter of the 27th of July informs 
me, you had examined Old Point Comfort, 
with the officers of the navy, and the engi- 
neers, and that you were all of opinion, a poft 

there 



76 APPENDIX. 

there would not anfwer the purpofe; and 
that you fliould, therefore, in compUance 
with th.Qfpirit of my orders, feize York and 
Gloucefter, being the only harbour in which 
you could hope to be able to give effeBual 
proteBion to line of battle fhips. Suppofing, 
therefore, of courfe, that your Lordfliip ap- 
proved, in every refped:, of York and Glou- 
cefter, from the preference you had thus 
given them to the poft I had recommended, 
I did not oppofe the choice you had made; 
having never received the leaft hint from 
your Lordftiip that the ground of York was 
unfavourable, or liable to be enfiladed till 
after you had capitulated. 

"With refped: to your Lordfliip's having 
been influenced in your condu6t, by the hopes 
of relief, (which you fay was uniformly held 
out to you in all my letters) your Lordihip 
cannot be infenfible, that the poffibility of 
effeding it muft have entirely depended upon 
the exertions of the navy; which, as I was 

not 



APPENDIX. 77 

not authorifed to promife before the 24th of 
September, I am perfuaded your Lordfliip 
will readily acknowledge, that if your letter 
of the 20th Odiober implies I had done lb 
before that period, the implication cannot 
be fupported by any thing I wrote previous 
to my letter of that date, which you received 
on the 29th. 

"As, therefore, my letters of the 2d and 
6th of September, which promife only my 
own exertions, did not reach your Lordfliip 
before the 13th and 14th of that month, and 
you did not before then know of Sir Samuel 
Hood's arrival, or of Mr. Graves's having 
more than feven fail of the line to combat 
Monfieur De GralTe's force, which on the 
29th of Augufh you had heard conlifted of at 
leafl twenty-five fail of the line ; your Lord- 
ll:iip confequently could have no hopes of re- 
lief before that time. And with refpe6t to 
your efcape to New-York, immediately on 
the arrival of General Wafhington's troops at 

Williamfburg, 



78 APPENDIX. 

Williamfburg, which your letter of the 20th 
of 06lober impUes you were prevented from 
undertaking, by the receipt of mine of the 
24th of September; I muft beg leave to ob- 
ferve, that if it had been ever prad:icable 
after the time your Lordiliip mentions (which 
I am free to own I do not think it was) it 
muft have been between that period and the 
time of the enemy's force appearing before 
your lines. It may, therefore, be prefumed, 
you could not have been prevented by any 
thing I faid in that letter, as you did not re- 
ceive it until after the latter event took place. 
But I readily admit, my Lord, that none of 
my letters could give you the leaft reafon to 
fuppofe that an attempt would not be made 
to fuccour you. 

" Your Lordfliip will, I am perfuaded, alfo 
forgive me, if I again take notice of the too 
pofitive manner in which you are pleafed to 
fpeak of the opinion I gave you about the 
failing of the fleet ; as my words were, " there 

is 



APPENDIX. 79 

"is every reafon to hope we lliall ftart from 
"hence about the 5th of October." And in 
my letter of the next day, for fear that fliould 
appear too pofitive, I fay, "It is fuppofed 
"the neceffary repairs of the fleet will detain 
"us here to the 5th of next month; and your 
"Lordiliip muft be fenfible that unforefeen 
"accidents may lengthen it out a day or two 
"longer." 

With regard to entrenching tools, the want 
of which your Lordihip fo much complains 
of, I can only fay, that by the returns made 
to me by the Adjutant-general, it appears that 
two thoufand five hundred had been fent to the 
Chefapeak by the Engineer, iince General 
Arnold's expedition, inclulive; and that the 
firft moment a requilition was made for more, 
(which was not before the 23d of Auguft) I 
ordered an additional fupply to be fent, which 
were prevented from going, by the arrival ot 
the French fleet. I own, however, that I was 
not at that time very uneafy on this fcore, as 

I fup- 



8o APPENDIX. 

I fuppofed it poffible for your Lordfhip to 
have collected a fufficiency from the neigh- 
bouring plantations any time before the in- 
veftiture was begun. 

"December lo. 1 had wrote thus far, 

my Lord, immediately after the receipt of your 
Lordfliip's letter of the 2d inftant. But con- 
fidering that it was poffible you might not 
have adverted to the implications, which your 
letter of the 20th of Odiober may be thought 
to bear, from the great agitation of mind and 
hurry in which you tell me it was written, I 
was unwilling to give you at that time more 
trouble on the fubjed:; — in the honeft hope 
that your Lordfliip's candour will induce you 
moft formally to difavow your having any 
fuch intentions by writing that letter, in cafe 
you find, on your arrival in England, that 
the palTages of it (which I have taken notice 
of) are underftood as I fufped: they may be. 
And I therefore intended to have fent this 
letter to a friend to be delivered to you in 

London, 



APPENDIX. 8i 

London; but upon conlidering your letter of 
the 2d inftant, (which I have had more leifure 
to do lince my public difpatches were clofed) 
I am of opinion, that it is properer your Lord- 
fliip (liould receive my anfwer to it here. 

** I have the honour, &c. 

(Signed) "H. CLINTON." 

** P. S. Having forgot to fpeak to the part 
of your Lordfhip's letter of the 2d inftant, 
where you fay, * I do not recoiled: that any 
* converfation palTed between us the other 
*day, before the publication of my letter, 
'relative to my reafons for taking polTeffion 
*of the the pofts of York and Gloucefter,' I 
beg leave to do it here. 

"It is true, my Lord, no converfation 
pafTed from your Lordlhip on that fubjedt. 
But when, in the converfation alluded to, I 
mentioned that I had dired:ed you to examine 
Old Point Comfort, and fortify it, but that, 
difapproving of that poft, you had feized 
L York, 



82 APPENDIX. 

York, and that therefore York was your Lord- 
fhip's preference; as you were pleafed not to 
make me any anfwer, I took it for granted 
you agreed with me. 

"H. CLINTON. 

" Lieutenant-general 
"Earl Cornwallis." 

NUMBER IX. 

ExtraB of a Letter frojn Sir Henry Clinton, 
to Lord George Ger??taine, dated December 
3, 1781. 

"YOUR Lordfhip will have received 
in my Difpatch, No. 146, the copies of Lord 
Cornwallis's letter to me of the 20th of Oc- 
tober, his capitulation for the pofts of York 
and Gloucefter, and the other papers which 
accompanied it. But your Lordfliip will per- 
ceive, that I declined making any remarks 
upon his letter until I faw his Lordfliip; 
knowing that my whole correfpondence with 
him being in your Lordfhip's poll'eilion, every 

thing 



APPENDIX. 83 

thing which wanted explanation could readily 
be cleared up. His Lordfliip having arrived 
here on the 19th ultimo, I have had feveral 
converfations with him ; and I have now the 
honour to inclofe, for your Lordfliip's infor- 
mation, the copy of a letter I wrote him on 
the fubjed:, with his Lordfliip's anfwer. 

"I perceive by Lord Cornwallis's letter of 
the 20th of 0(flober, that his opinion of the 
poft of York is very unfavourable; and he 
lince tells me, that he does not think the 
enemy will be able to make a ftrong one of 
it. Had his Lordfliip, however, not been fo 
very decided in his fentiments of the poft, all 
the accounts I had ever before received of 
the lituation and defenlibility of the ground 
would, I confefs, have inclined me to have 
thought well of it." 



N U M- 



84 APPENDIX. 

NUMBER IX. 

Copy of a Letter from Sir Henry Clinton, to 
Lord George Germain, dated December 6, 
1781. 

"My Lord, 

" I have fo often had the honour of deUver- 
ing the fame fentiments to your Lordfliip, 
that I mufl beg your pardon for again troubHng 
you with the repetition, that I have ever been 
of opinion that operation fhould not be under- 
taken in the Chefapeak, without having a 
naval fuperiority in thefe feas; and to the 
want of it, and perhaps to that alone, are we 
to impute our late misfortune in that quarter. 
Therefore, when I did myfelf the honour of 
fending you a copy of Lord Cornwallis's letter 
to me of the 20th of Od:ober, I did not think 
it necelTary to trouble your Lordfhip with any 
remarks upon fome palTages of it, which 
might feem to imply, that his Lordfliip had 

been 



APPENDIX. 85 

been forced into a bad pofl: by my orders, 
notwithftanding he had reprefented its de- 
feats, and had been induced to remain there 
contrary to his judgment by the politive alTu- 
rances I had given him of reHef; efpecially 
as your Lordfhip was polfeiTed of our cor- 
refpondence, which could in the fulleil: man- 
ner invaHdate every impHcation of that fort, 
and I wiflied to have an opportunity of 
fpeaking to Lord CornwalHs before I faid 
any thing on fo deUcate a fubjed:. 

"Since Lord CornwalHs's arrival here, I 
have had a good deal of converfation with his 
Lordfhip upon this bufinefs; by which, and 
by the anfwer he has fent me to a letter I 
wrote him thereon, (copies of which are in- 
clofed) it appears, that his Lordfliip admits 
this was not the cafe. But as Lord Cornwal- 
Hs's difavowal is not fo explicit and dired: in 
his letter, as I could wifli, and I think juftice 
to my character requires, I beg your Lord- 
Ihip's attention to the following obfervations; 

which 



86 APPENDIX. 

which I hope the anxiety I mufl naturally 
feel on this occafion, will plead my excufe for 
troubling you with ; though they may not be 
necelTary to vindicate me with your Lord- 
fhip, who is already fo competent to judge. 

"I am perfuaded that it will appear by 
my letters to Lord Cornwallis of the nth 
and 15th of June, and thofe referred to by 
them, that I recommended his taking a 
healthy, defenlive ftation, either at Williamf- 
burg, or York; and defired that, after keep- 
ing what troops he might want for its moft 
ample defence and defultory movements by 
water, his Lordfliip would fend me fuch a 
proportion of the corps (mentioned in a lift) 
as he could fpare, taking them in the fuc- 
ceffion they are there placed. But his Lord- 
fhip, on the contrary, underftanding that 
thefe letters conveyed a politive order to fend 
me three thoufand men, (by which he fays 
his force would have been reduced to about 

two 



APPENDIX. 87 

two thoufand four hundred rank and file fit for 
duty, having probably at that time a numerous 
fick) told me in his anfwer, that he could 
not, confiftent with my plans, make fafe 
defenfive pofls at York and Gloucefter, (both 
which would be neceflary for the protediion 
of fliipping) and that he fliould immediately 
repafs James River, and take meafures for 
complying with my requifition. Finding, 
therefore, that his Lordfliip had fo entirely 
mifconceived my intentions, I immediately 
confulted with Rear Admiral Graves upon 
the fubjecSt of his letter; and the Admiral 
being of opinion that a naval ftation in 
Chefapeak for large lliips was abfolutely re- 
quifite, and that Hampton Road appeared 
to be the fitteft for the purpofe, I defired 
his Lordlhip, at the Admiral's requeft, to exa- 
mine Old Point Comfort in the mouth of 
James River, and fortify it, upon the fup- 
pofition that a work there would fecure that 

harbour ; 



88 APPENDIX. 

harbour; and if his Lordfhip thought a poft 
at York neceflary to cover Old Point Com- 
fort, he was at hberty to take that alfo. 
This order was fent to Lord CornwalHs 
in my letter of the iith of July, and his 
Lordfliip's anfwer to it is dated the 27th; 
wherein he informs me, that having exa- 
mined Old Point Comfort with the Cap- 
tains of the King's Hiips and the engineers, 
and being all of opinion a poft there would 
not anfwer the purpofe, he fliould, in com- 
pliance with the fpirit of my orders, feize 
York and Gloucefter, being the only harbour 
in which he could hope to be able to give 
effectual protection to line of battle fliips. 
Copies of thefe letters are inclofed for your 
Lordfliip to refer to; and I truft it will ap- 
pear from them, that the poll at York was 
in this inftance entirely his Lordfliip's choice. 
But never having received any reprefentation 
from his Lordfliip, by which I could have 

the 



APPENDIX. 89 

the leaft conception he thought the ground 
difadvantageous and Hable to enfilade, (as 
ftated in his letter of the 20th of Od:ober) 
and,, fuppofing from the preference his Lord- 
fliip had thus given it to the one I had re- 
commended, that he fully approved of York 
and Gloucefter, I own I did not oppofe his 
laying hold of them, as I could not enter- 
tain the fmalleft doubt of their being defen- 
fible, and fuch a poft as I had told his Lord- 
fhip I wanted. And, indeed, if his Lord- 
fhip had not now informed me that it was a 
bad one, the eagernefs with which I under- 
ftand the French have fince feized and are 
fortifying it, would incline me ftill to think 
well of it. 

"With refped: to his Lordfhip having 
been influenced in his conduct by the hopes 
of relief, (which he is pleafed to fay I uni- 
formly held out to him in all my letters) his 
Lordlhip could not be infenfible that the pof- 
M Ability 



90 APPENDIX. 

fibility of efFed:ing it muft have entirely de- 
pended upon the exertions of the fleet, which, 
as I was not authorized to promife him be- 
fore the council of war held on the 24th of 
September, I am perfuaded that the implica- 
tion in his Lordfliip's letter that I had done 
fo before that period, cannot be fupported (as 
indeed his Lordfliip now feems to acknow- 
ledge) by any thing I wrote to him, previous 
to my letter of that date, which he received 
on the 29th. As, therefore, my letters of 
the 2d and 6th of September, which promife 
only my own exertions, did not reach his 
Lordfliip before the 13th and 14th of that 
month, and he did not before then know of 
Sir S. Hood's arrival, or that Admiral Graves 
had more than feven fail of the line to com- 
bat Monfieur de GraiTe's force, whofe arrival, 
it appears from his Lordfliip's letters, he 
knew of on the 29th of Auguft, and fuppofed 
it to be twenty-five fail of the line, his Lord- 

fhip 



APPENDIX. 91 

fliip confequently did not receive from me 
any hopes of relief before that time. 

"With regard to his Lordfliip's efcape 
to New York, immediately on the arrival 
of General Washington's troops at Williamf- 
burg, which his letter of the 20th of Oftober 
implies he was prevented from undertaking 
by the receipt of mine of the 24th of Sept. 
I cannot help being of opinion, that a re- 
treat, after Mr. Wafliington joined, was im- 
practicable, and that it was at no time to be 
effedled to the northward, for reafons which 
I gave his Lordihip. But had it been ever 
poiTible, after the time his Lordfliip men- 
tions, it muft, I think, have been between 
that period and the time of the enemy's force 
prefenting itfelf before the lines of York; 
and it is confequently prefumable, his Lord- 
fhip was not prevented by any thing I faid 
in that letter, as he acknowledges he did not 
receive it until after the latter event took 
place. But I readily admit, my Lord, that 

none 



92 APPENDIX. 

none of my letters could give his Lordfliip 
the leaft reafon to fuppofe that an attempt 
would not be made to fuccour him, though, 
I muft confefs, I think his Lordihip fpeaks 
in his letter rather too poiitively of the opi- 
nion I gave in mine, as to the time of the 
fleet's failing. My words being, * There is 
'every reafon to hope we fliall ftart from 

* hence about the 5th of October.' And 
left even that fhould be thought pofitive, 
I the next day told him, *that unforefeen 

* accidents may lengthen it out a day or two 
'longer.' 

"The complaint his Lordfliip makes of 
the want of intrenching tools, I can only 
anfwer, by faying, that it appears from the 
Adjutant-general's returns to me, that two 
thoufand five hundred had been fent by the 
engineer to the Chefapeak with the different 
expeditions, fince the one commanded by 
General Arnold inclufive ; and the firfl: mo- 
ment a requifition was made for more (which 

was 



APPENDIX. 93 

was not before his Lordfliip's letter of the 
22d of Auguft) I ordered an additional fup- 
ply to be fent, which were prevented from 
going by the arrival of the French fleet. 
But I muft own, my Lord, that I was not 
then very uneafy on this fcore, as I flattered 
myfelf it was poflible for his Lordfhip to 
have colled:ed what he wanted from the 
neighbouring plantations any time before the 
inveftiture was begun. 

"No man, my Lord, can feel more fenfibly 
than I did for the unhappy fituation of Lord 
Cornwallis and his gallant army, whofe me- 
ritorious condudl, fpirit, and zeal, on all oc- 
caflons, muft heighten our anxiety and con- 
cern for their prefent fate; and therefore as 
his Lordfliip is pleafed to tell me that his 
letter of the 20th of Od:ober was written 
under great agitation of mind and in great 
hurry, which might poflibly have prevented 
his adverting to the implications which it 
may be thought to bear, I cannot, at prefent, 

wifli 



94 APPENDIX. 

wifh to give his Lordfliip more trouble on 
the fubjed:, although his anfwer of the 2d 
inftant is not fo explicitly fatisfadtory as I 
expelled it would have been; for, if the 
palTages in that letter, which I have taken 
notice of, fhould be underftood in Europe in 
any refped: to my prejudice, I cannot doubt 
his Lordfhip will have candour enough moft 
formally to difavow his having any fuch in- 
tentions. But if his Lordfliip, contrary to 
my expedation, lliall not be inclined to do 
fo, I muft be obliged, though reluctantly, 
moft earneftly to requeft your Lordfliip to 
render me that juftice, (which I am perfuaded 
you think I deferve) by publifliing this letter. 

" I have the honour, &c. 

"H. CLINTON." 



NUM- 



APPENDIX. 



NUMBER X. 



9S 



ExtraB from Sir H. Clintons InJiruBions to 
Major- General Philips ^ dated March lo, 
1781. 

"IF the Admiral difapproving of Portf- 
mouth, and requiring a fortified ftation for 
large fhips in the Chefapeak, fliould propofe 
York Town, or Old Point Comfort, if pof- 
fefiion of either can be acquired and main- 
tained without great rifk or lofs, you are at 
liberty to take pofi^effion thereof. But if the 
objections are fuch as you think forcible, you 
muft, after ftating thofe objections, decline it 
till folid operations take place in the Chefa- 
peak." 



ExtraB 



^e APPENDIX. 

ExtraSi from the Subjlaiice of Converfations 
held with General Philips, fent to that 
General Oficer for his Guidance. 

" BUT if the heights of York, and thofe 
on the Gloucefter fide, cannot be fo well and 
fo foon fortified as to render that poft hors 
d'ififult before the enemy can move a force, 
&c. againfi: it, it may not be advifeable to 
attempt it. In that cafe fomething may pof- 
fibly be done at Old Point Comfort to cover 
large fiiips lying in Hampton road, which is 
reckoned a good one. If neither can be fe- 
cured, we muft content ourfelves with keep- 
ing the Chefapeak, with frigates and other 
armed vefi^els, which will always find fecurity 
againft a fuperior naval force in Elizabeth 
River." 



^^ N U M- 



APPENDIX. 



97 



NUMBER XL Vide p. 7. 1. 15. 

ExtraB from Sir Henry Clinton s Letters to 
Lord George Germain. 

OCTOBER 30, 1780. "I iliall in a few 
days fend to Charles-town, all the recruits 
belonging to the fouthern army, which will 
be about eight hundred. And then, includ- 
ing the corps under General Leflie, Lord 
Cornwallis will have full 1 1 306 effective 
rank and file under his orders. 

April 5th, 1 78 1. "After the reduftion 
of Charles-town, Lord Cornwallis informed 
me, that he thought the force I left with him 
fully competent to the defence of South, and 
moft probably the reduction of North Caro- 
lina. I had, therefore, at that time no other 
intention (threatened as we were, by the ex- 
pelled arrival of a French fleet and army in 
Rhode-Ifland) than to fend an expedition 
into Chefapeak, merely by way of making a 
N diverfion 



98 APPENDIX. 

diverfion in his Lordfliip's favour, until more 
folid operation might take place. Which I 
was in hopes that adequate reinforcements 
from Europe, would have enabled me to un- 
dertake early in the prefent year. Events, 
however, notwithftanding the very glorious 
exertions which were made at Camden, al- 
tered Lord Cornwallis's Htuation fo much as 
to make it necelTary for him to call the corps 
I had fent to Chefapeak with General Leflie, 
(and which I had put under his Lordfhip's 
orders) to a nearer co-operation. Being, 
therefore, ftill defirous to fecure a poft in 
that bay to cover the King's frigates which 
might be acting there; and at the fame time 
wifliing to give Lord Cornwallis every affift- 
ance in my power; I fent thither another 
detachment, under the orders of Brigadier- 
general Arnold; which, though not fo con- 
liderable as the former met with the fuUeft 
fuccefs, and will, I doubt not, have greatly 
aided the movements of the army in Caro- 
lina. 



APPENDIX. 99 

lina. General Wafliington having detached 
a body of troops to the fouthward, and the 
French having embarked in their fleet, ano- 
ther from their army at Rhode-illand, with 
an apparent intention of interrupting our 
operations in Virginia, and the Carolinas; 
I was induced to fend to the Chefapeak ano- 
ther expedition (drawn principally from the 
elite of my army) under Major-general Phil- 
lips. All thefe feveral detachments, your 
Lordfhip will perceive are ad:ing, either with 
or in favour of Lord Cornwallis. But, as 
General Wafliington's letter to Mr. Harrison 
(a copy of which your Lordlliip will fee 
amongft the intercepted letters inclofed) inti- 
mates, that there will not be oppofed to his 
Lordfliip, above two thoufand continentals 
more than General Green had with liim be- 
fore; I am led to hope that, when his 
Lordfliip has eftablished himfelf in North- 
Carolina, a very confiderable portion of his 
army may be fpared to affifl: in carrying into 

execution 



loo APPENDIX. 

execution fuch further operations, as Lord 
Cornwallis may have to propofe; or the 
whole or fuch part as Ihall be found practi- 
cable of thofe I had defigned, and accordingly 
explained to Major-general Phillips, in fome 
converfations I had with him before his de- 
parture. 

" If an attempt upon the forts in the high 
lands fhall not, on mature deliberation, be 
thought advifeable, and nothing elfe offers in 
this quarter; I fliall probably reinforce Ma- 
jor-general Phillips, and diredl him to carry 
on fuch operations as may moft effectually 
favour thofe of Lord Cornwallis, until fome 
plan can be determined on for the campaign. 
For, until I know his Lordfhip's fuccefs, the 
force he can, in confequence of it, fpare frorn 
the Carolinas, and the certainty of the arrival 
of the fix regiments intended to reinforce us, 
it will be impoffible to decide finally upon it. 
Your Lordfhip will, however, fee by the in- 
clofed opinions, what were the operations I 

had 



APPENDIX. loi 

had planned for the enfuing campaign, upon 
the fuppofition, that Lord Cornwalhs fuc- 
ceeded in the CaroUnas, and was able to 
fpare a confiderable force from thence. With 
the ten thoufand men I requefted, I lliould not 
have had a doubt of fuccefs. But in my 
prefent reduced ftate and profpedis I dare not 
flatter myfelf with any. And if the French 
fhould ftill be reinforced, your Lordfliip will, 
I am perfuaded, judge our fituation to be 
even critical. For with regard to our efforts 
in the Chefapeak, your Lordfliip knows 
how much their fuccefs and even the fafety 
of the armament there, will depend upon our 
having a decided naval fuperiority in thefe 
feas. And I, therefore, cannot doubt that 
every precaution will be taken, to give me, 
at leaft, timely notice of the contrary being 
likely to happen ; as my ignorance of fuch 
an event, might be moft fatal in its confe- 
quences. 

The 



• -ft: 

I02 A P P E N D I X. 

"The reinforcement I afked for, was 
only what I judged to be barely adequate 
to the fervices required ; and I mofl sincerely 
wifli it had been poffible to have fent it in 
the full extent of numbers, and in the time 
I requefted. However, the prefent reduced 
ftate of General Washington, the little proba- 
bility there is, I hope, of an augmentation to 
the French armament, and the certainty 
there is, I likewife hope, of the fix Britifh 
regiments, and one thoufand recruits joining 
me in a fliort time, together, with the ex- 
pectation I have of Lord Cornwallis's fuccefs 
in Carolina, enabling him to fend me a con- 
liderable reinforcement from thence, render 
the appearances of my fituation lefs critical. 
And I fliall, therefore, only add, my Lord, 
that while the King does me the honour, to 
truft me with the command of this army, 
I will employ it to the utmoft of my poor 
abilities, for the promoting his fervice; — 
taking the liberty, however, to reprefent (as 

I think 



APPENDIX. 103 

I think it my duty) what advantages may 
be obtained by an additional force, and what 
evils may be apprehended from the want of 
a fufficient one. 

April 30, 1 78 1. "Your Lordfhip will 
have feen in the paper I had the honour to 
fend you in my lafl: difpatch, what force I 
judged would be requilite for this fervice. 
Not lefs, my Lord, than 10,000 men rank 
and file, fit for duty, indeed I wifli they 
could be more. But the inclofed returns 
will fhew your Lordlliip that after leaving 
thefe pofts to their prefent garrifons, and 
leaving 1000 men in the poft in Elizabeth 
River (fuppofing it may not be found ne- 
ceffary to occupy another ftation) I fhall not 
have quite 5000 men for it, unless the three 
battalions expedied from the Weft Indies 
arrive in proper time and condition for fer- 
vice, or Lord Cornwallis fliould be able 
to fpare from his defenfive in Carolina (when 
he determines upon it) a confiderable part of 

the 



I04 APPENDIX. 

the army under his immediate command; 
which, however, his Lordfliip's letter of the 
loth inftant, gives me no hopes of, or indeed 
that he will even fpare me ihe three regi- 
ments coming from Ireland. 

"With thefe 5000, however, my Lord, 
I may polTibly determine to rifk, even by 
defultory movements, the trial of this experi- 
ment, fhould I find, the report given me of 
our friends in that country properly founded. 
If it fucceeds as fully as our fanguine friends 
would perfuade us to hope, we may poffibly 
be able to maintain ourfelves there with a 
fmall force; but if we are in a lituation to 
give the experiment a fair trial, and it then 
fails, I fhall, I confefs, have little hopes after- 
wards of re-eftablifliing order on this conti- 
nent; which I am free to own I think can 
never be effedled without the ccrdial affift- 
ance of numerous friends, &c. 

\Inclofed 



APPENDIX. 105 

Inclofed in the above letter the following 
extraBs fro?n Sir Henry Clinton s letters to 
Major General Phillips. 

April 26, 1 78 1. 

" Lord Cornwallis's arrival at Wilmington 
has conliderably changed the complexion of 
our affairs to the fouthward; and all ope- 
rations to the northward mufl: probably give 
place to thofe in favour of his Lordfliip, 
which at prefent appear to require our more 
immediate attention. I know nothing of his 
Lordfhip's lituation, but what I have learnt 
from his letter to me of the i oth, which you 
have read. I had great hopes, before I re- 
ceived this letter that his Lordfliip would 
have been in a condition to fpare me a confide- 
rable part of his army from Carolina for the 
operations in Chefapeak ; but you will obferve 
from it, that inftead of fending any part of his 
prefent force thither, he propofes to detain 
a part of the reinforcement coming from Eu- 
rope for his more fouthern operations, even 
o though 



io6 APPENDIX. 

though they (hould be defenlive. I fhall 
therefore take the opinions of the general of- 
ficers near me, upon the prefent ftate of our 
affairs, and afterwards fend you fuch a rein- 
forcement from this army, as we may judge 
can be done with tolerable fecurity to this 
poft, at leaft, while we remain fuperior at fea. 
April 30, 1 78 1. To the fame. "If Lord 
Cornwallis propofes no operation to you foon 
(that is, before the month of June) and you 
fee none that will operate for him direBly. I 
think the beft indireB one in his favour will 
be what you and General Arnold have pro- 
pofed to me in Number i o of your joint letter 
of the 1 8th inftant. The only riik you run is 
from a temporary fuperiority of the enemy at 
fea; it is, however, an important move, and 
ought, in my opinion, to be tried even with 
fome rifk. Give me timely information of 
your intended move, and if poffible I will fol- 
low you into with fuch a fmall rein- 
forcement as I can at the time fpare. 

"If 



APPENDIX. 



107 



" If the next packet does not fatisfy me in 
— I fliall probably retire and leave the 



command to Lord Cornwallis; to whom it 
will be my advice to try the only experiment 
that in my opinion can operate, if the one in 
Carolina has failed. For as to Virginia, I 
know none which can reduce that province 
in one campaign. 

"As you feemed to think, before you re- 
ceived Lord Cornwallis's letter that all direct 
operation in favour of his Lordfliip would 
ceafe by the end of May, &c. pray let me 
receive General Arnold's, and your opinion 
as foon as pollible; I confefs, I am not fan- 
guine, but if the experiment can be tried with- 
out any other rifk than from the enemy's fu- 
periority at fea I Ihould wifh to do it. 

"Should Lord Cornwallis determine on a 
defenlive in the Carolinas, he furely cannot 
want any of the European reinforcement, and 
will of courfe, fend it to you, and all fuch 
other as fhall arrive; thus reinforced, if after 

leaving 



io8 APPENDIX. 

leaving a fufficient garrifon in Elizabeth Ri- 
ver, you can proceed to I think we fhall 

be in force to give this a fair trial; and I 
may leave you in the command there, unlefs 
things (hould take a more favourable turn in 
the Carolinas, and Lord Cornwallis's prefence 
there be no longer neceffary. For until they 
do, I fliould imagine he will not quit them. 

N. B. Thefe two letters with other dif- 
patches fell into Lord Cornwallis's hands on 
General Phillips's death and were opened by 
his Lordfliip; and the expedition therein 
propofed recommended to his conlideration. 



N U M- 



APPENDIX. 109 

NUMBER XII. Vide p. 37. 1. 6. 

* KxtraBs from Sir He my Clintons Letters to 
Lord George Germain. 

May 20, 1 78 1. 

"BUT fhould Lord Cornwallis perfift in 
his intention of joining Major-general Phil- 
lips, as mentioned in his letter to that General 
Officer, I fhall be under fome apprehenfions 
for every part of South Carolina, except 
Charles-town, and even for Georgia, unlefs 
the fpeedy arrival of the reinforcement ex- 
pecfted from Europe, may enable the officer, 
commanding in South Carolina, to take poft 
in force in fome healthy ftation in the back 
country. 

"May 22. Notwithftanding the purport 
of thefe letters, I am yet in hopes, from Lord 
Cornwallis's letter to me of the 24th, that 
his Lordfliip will not perlift in attempting 
a jund:ion with Major-general Phillips, as I 

am 



no APPENDIX. 

am apprehenlive it may be attended with fome 
rifk, not only to his own corps, but to that 
of General Phillips, {hould that General Of- 
ficer not have been joined in time by the re- 
inforcement I have fent him. And I even 
have my doubts whether his Lordihip's march 
to the northward will draw after him, as he 
exped:s, the rebel General Green; who, I 
fear, will endeavour either to invefl Camden, 
or, by ftationing himfelf between that place 
and Charleftown, render Lord Rawdon's fitu- 
ation very hazardous. I am therefore induced 
to flatter myfelf, that Lord Cornwallis, when 
he hears of Lord Rawdon's fuccefs againft 
Green, will rather march into South Carolina 
either by the diredl route of Crofs Creek and 
Camden, or by that of George Town ; or even 
by embarkation, though he Ihould be obliged 
to leave his cavalry behind until velTels can be 
fent for them, than attempt the propofed junc- 
tion with General Phillips in the way he men- 
tions ; 



APPENDIX. Ill 

tions; which I muft freely own appears to 
me, for the reafons I have ftated, not only 
dangerous to both corps in the attempt, but 
replete with the worfl: confequences to our 
fouthern Provinces in their prefent ftate." 



NUMBER XIII. Vide p. 37. 1. II. 

ExtraBs from Sir Henry Clinton s Letters to 
Lord George Germain. 

July 18, 1 78 1. "The extracts from my 
correfpondence with Earl Cornwallis, which 
I have had the honour to tranfmit from time 
to time to your Lordfhip, will Ihew, that I 
left in Carolina a very fair proportion of my 
army, and fuch as his Lordfhip thought fuf- 
licient to fecure South, and recover North 
Carolina. With what was left for me to 
a6t with in this quarter, I took the field 
immediately upon my arrival here. General 

Leflie's 



112 APPENDIX. 

Leflie's expedition to the Chefapeak took 
place afterwards ; and fome unfortunate 
events in Carolina calling for ftill farther 
reinforcement and co-operation, foon re- 
duced this part of my army to a defenfive, 
almoft as low in numbers as Sir William 
Howe left me in 1777. If our fuccefles, 
therefore, in the fouthern Provinces have 
not anfwered your Lordfliip's expectations, 
it cannot, I am certain, be imputed either 
to the fmallnefs of the numbers I left there, 
or the tardinefs or fcantinefs with which I 
have lince fupplied the exigencies of that 
fervice. Though I am ftrongly imprelTed 
with the importance of recovering Virginia, 
I fear the entire reduction of fo populous 
a province is not to be expedied from an 
operation folely there; unlefs our friends in 
it were more numerous, and were heartily 
inclined to affift us not only in conquering, 
but in keeping it. 

July 



APPENDIX. 113 

July 25. "No man, my Lord, laments 
more lincerely than I do, the long continuance 
of the wefterly winds, which prevented the 
failing of the Warwick's convoy ; and I hope 
your Lordfliip will pardon me for again re- 
peating, that had the reinforcement failed as 
early as was promifed, and the three battalions 
not been detained in the Weft Indies, I fhould 
perhaps by this time have made fuch move- 
ments as would have obliged the enemy to 
be apprehenfive for their own polTeffions, in- 
ftead of meditating the attack which they 
now threaten againft this poft." 

AugufI: 9. "I am entirely of your Lord- 
fliip's fentiments with refpe(5t to Lord Corn- 
wallis having done as much in North Caro- 
lina as could have been effedled with his 
force. But I have to lament the caufes 
which reduced it fo low in number; and 
that his Lordfhip was induced to perfift in 
his plan, after it became obvious that he was 
p not 



114 APPENDIX. 

not able to eftablifh himfelf there, and fup- 
port and arm the Loyahfts, which were the 
objects of his march into the heart of that 
province." 

From Lord CornwalUs's former letters, I 
had every reafon to fuppofe he thought him- 
felf in fufficient ftrength to command the 
fuccefs he hoped for. Had his Lordfliip, 
however, upon Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton's 
miffortune, called upon me for a reinforce- 
ment, or had I even known it in time, I am 
perfuaded your Lordfliip will do me the 
juftice to acknowledge, that it was abfolutely 
out of my power to affift him more than I 
did; efpecially when it is conlidered, that at 
this moment his Lordfliip has ad:ing with 
him, and in the different pofts under his 
command, nineteen Britifh, eight German, 
and fourteen Provincial battalions, befides 
detachments from four Britifh battalions, 
and lagers, artillery and cavalry; whilft in 
my prefent threatened fituation, I have 

(through 



APPENDIX. 115 

(through my earneft defire to fupport his 
operations) left myfelf only eight Britifli, 
eleven German, and four Provincial bat- 
talions, befides artillery and cavalry, for thofe 
in this quarter. 



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